Into Darkness
by The Vilified
Summary: Three years after Darkrai's attempt to ruin the world, the dimensional scream reveals that problems will arise once again. Team Retribution must do all they can to prevent things from going south in the first place, but the fight will be harder than ever before as an evilness awakens within society. PMD: Explorers of Sky fanfic. M for swearing, violence, & lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **Alright, so I've decided to write this story for several reasons. For one, it's a great side-project other than staying totally focused on _The Reaper_. Don't worry about it not being updated on a semi-regular basis; I will always finish my projects. Also, I've noticed that there really aren't many Mystery Dungeon fics out there, and that's kind of a shame, considering how great of a game Explorers of Sky was. So I figured what the hell, why not do something a bit more uncommon. Lastly, this story is kind of my way of practicing writing a true third person POV story in preparation for _The Ravager._ **

**Also, since I have started doing one-shots: if you favorite or follow this story and leave a review, you will be entered into the drawing for a free one-shot. You get to pick the pokémon species and influence the plot. Most likely will be around 20,000 words. DM me if you have any questions about this.**

 **So for the old disclaimer: I don't own nor am I associated with Pokémon, Game Freak, or Chunsoft. All I own are my own characters and the plot.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

— — — — —

 **General**

— — — — —

The weary trio had succeeded once again in the task at hand. But then again, when had been the last time they had failed? Despite the dangers of the Northern Desert, Team Retribution had found and apprehended the outlaw - a rhydon that went by the name of Juggernaut. Unfortunately for him, a certain lucario knew the move water pulse. It had only taken a single shot and the outlaw was out like a light. Soon afterwards, the magnemite police force had arrived on the scene and took the criminal into custody. It was only one of the hundreds of missions that the team had completed over the three years it had been together. Their success here today would likely blend in with the others before long - just another simple task out of the many that they had completed.

The worst part about it all was never the fighting, nor the tireless searching through caves and dungeons. No, the true irritation was found in the journeys to and from the location of interest. More often than not, the voyages took several days and left them exhausted. But if there was one benefit to it all - aside from taking down infamous criminals - it was the beautiful scenery that filled the region. They got around quite a bit, and alongside the memories of perilous battles were those of lush forests, vast mountain ranges, and hidden villages. On this particular night, the twilight sky was vibrant and full of life, the full moon and multitude of shining stars bathing the outskirts of Treasure Town in a cool blue. Of the three members of the team, the umbreon must have been the most mesmerized by the view in the sky as the rings on her body radiated through the darkness.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Tristan asked with a grin.

"It sure is," Selina responded, her voice both sweet and gentle. "What do you think, Liam?" The lucario nodded, lightly tossing an iron thorn in his hand. Liam had become deadly with the weapons over his years of combat. He could hit his mark without fail up to fifteen yards - a skill that he was admittedly proud of.

They finally reached the three-way fork in the road. Here, they would split. Liam and Selina would head to their home in Sharpedo Bluff, whereas Tristan would head east to his house near the guild. "What do you two say we take tomorrow off?" Liam asked.

"Won't hear any opposition from me," Tristan stated.

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Selina said, quickly followed by a yawn.

"Oh? Looks like someone's tired," Liam laughed.

"Mhm. We've been walking for _hours_. I'm worn out."

"Well in that case, you start heading home. I'll go give the guild their part of the pay," Liam said, giving Selina a pat on the shoulders. "Seeya soon, Tristan." With that, he walked off, making his way to the Wigglytuff Guild.

"Seeya." The luxray stood still for a moment, noticing all of the sand still stuck in his fur. That was going to be fun to get out. Perhaps a visit to the Hot Spring would do him well.

"I think I'm gonna hit the hay," the umbreon said. "Goodnight Tristan." She turned around, heading back to her home at the very edge of town.

"Goodnight…" For a moment, he stayed there and watched her go. The umbreon's yellow rings flew more prominently than any star in the night sky. Such an exquisite creature, she was. "Hey… wait up…" The luxray walked up to her side. "Do you… have any plans tomorrow?" She thought it over for a moment, then shrugged.

"Not really, no. Day off, remember? I'll probably take it easy in town with Liam tomorrow." Tristan nodded in response. "Why, what do you have planned?"

"Nothing… nothing. I'll probably stick near the cafe." He steadily looked down at the ground, seemingly contemplating something. "Listen… you are free to join me… that is, if you _want_."

"Alright," she chimed. "I'm sure Liam would enjoy that very much." After all, he was always one for grabbing a drink.

"Okay…" She gave him a friendly smile, then continued on her way, leaving the larger luxray to himself.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

From the very first day, it had always been annoying to hand over ninety percent of their earnings to the guild. After all, the guild had not taken down those dangerous outlaws; the guild had not earned that money. But then again, it _was_ with the guild's training and resources that Team Retribution had even managed to take off in the first place. That, and the fact that the guild practically ran Treasure Town… well, as long as the money went to helping the town out - which it always did - Liam and Selina didn't have too much of an issue with it. And it wasn't like they were poor by any means…

No, three years into this business and they were _very_ well off. A single look at the vast amount of gear they all wore was enough to tell anybody that. Aside from the iron thorns that adorned Liam's sash was the coveted Space Globe - the mystical orb that greatly strengthened its wielder's power. He had gone on a solo journey to test his skills against Destiny Tower - a shrine to the creator himself - while the other members of Team Retribution stayed behind and pursued outlaws as usual. The endeavor had taken him over a week, but he had eventually triumphed over the grueling trial.

The lucario approached the front entrance of the ornate guild, only to find it barred shut. _Of course._ They had locked up for the night. He could wait until morning before he carried out the finalizations of the job. Unless..

Liam walked around back, carefully looking down the cliffside. _Bingo._ That one window was always open - it was a real pain in the ass to open once it had been shut, so the guild typically just left it ajar. He took two iron thorns out of his sash, then carefully plotted out his path. He really should wait until morning - if something went wrong, he would fall all the way down to the rapid waters below. That would surely hurt. The smarter decision would be to simply be patient. _Hell no_ , he thought, _where would be the fun in that?_ He anchored one into the ground and held the other in his mouth. Then, holding onto the first tightly, he stepped off of the ledge. _So far so good._ He held on with one hand, grabbing the iron thorn in his mouth and sinking it in to the dirt in a lower position than the previous. He quickly retrieved the first and followed suit. Using the spikes like climbing tools, Liam worked his way downward within the moment and slipped through the window into the second floor. _Piece of cake._

He looked around - the guild was dark and empty. Of course, being close to midnight, everyone was likely asleep. _Huh… maybe I really should've waited until morning._ As he contemplated leaving, he heard a familiar footstep climbing down the ladder. A wolfish grin appeared on Liam's face as he casually walked up to it. A drowsy bird descended right in front of the blue canine, completely oblivious to his presence. "Hey!" Liam blurted out. The second-in-command of the guild flapped away in pure terror, putting as much distance in a single bound between him and the unknown intruder as possible. The rapid breathing of the flying-type almost made Liam feel bad for scaring him. Almost.

"L-Liam you fool - you about gave me a heart attack!" He tried to compose himself as though he had not just been terrified.

"Ah, lighten up," he said cooly. "You're fine." The resulting irritation that came from Chatot was all too worth it. _Alright, better give him the good news now to lighten him up_. "Anyways, we finished the job - Juggernaut's safely behind bars. Here's the Guild's share." He tossed the bag of money onto the ground - Ᵽ5,400 in total.

"And this couldn't wait till morning because?"

"Eh, no reason in particular. Just thought you might like to receive it tonight." Of course, this wasn't true by a long shot - but Liam would never pass up an opportunity to get under Chatot's skin.

"I swear," Chatot mumbled, "you're a pain in my ass sometimes." Liam couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, you know you'd miss me if I was gone."

"Maybe," he said through a gritted beak. "Thank you for contributing to the Guild, but _please_ for the love of Arceus use some judgement from now on in what time you decide to deliver it."

"Alright, fine," Liam said, satisfied with his work. "Well, I guess I'll be heading off now. Should I use the front entrance, or should I leave the way I came?" Chatot shook his head.

"Go out the front. Much more… well, _civilized._ Just remember to pull the gate shut."

"Will do." As he climbed the ladder, he could've sworn he heard Chatot mumbling something about fixing that window.

 **. . . . .**

Liam casually strolled through Treasure Town, being mindful to remain quite while its inhabitants were in slumber. The town had come quite a long way ever since Team Retribution had been founded - if it could truly be called a town anymore. Truth be told, it really should be renamed Treasure _City_ \- the population had grown immensely. The Guild was mostly responsible for that, both in terms of its economic contributions to the town as well as its status as one of the most effective organizations for creating top-notch exploration teams. As a result, pokémon from all over had begun to move there, and expansion had occurred. Liam and Selina had picked up on this, and decided to purchase the entirety of Sharpedo Bluff with a fraction of their earnings in order to keep the bluff from becoming too crowded. Speaking of Sharpedo Bluff…

The location was coming into view. Knowing exactly where to look, he approached the trapdoor that led to their quarters. Going inside, he wasn't at all surprised to see a lack of a fire. After all, they'd both had enough heat these past few days. Selina had already set all of her stuff onto the shelf beside her bed. The day they had both evolved, they realized that the nest-like beds that had formerly been adequate for their smaller bodies would no longer be useful. Now they each had cots, complete with blankets and a pillow. _Much more comfortable than a heap of straw._

Currently, Selina was dragging the covers of her bed back with her teeth. "I'm worn out," she said, hopping onto the bed carelessly. "Ahh… That feels great…" Liam removed his sash and set it into the chest nearest to his bed, along with only a few of the various treasures they had discovered throughout their expeditions. Most of their earnings had either been deposited into the bank or had gone into renovating their base - a now very well furnished residence. A residence that the two of them shared, as shown by the decently sized portrait of the two of them in their un-evolved forms.

That had been one of the most confusing aspects of their partnership to Liam. He and Selina had shared a room with one another from the very beginning. It hadn't struck him as odd then - there had been, after all, limited space in the Guild. And once they had made their escape back to the present, they really had nowhere to go but Selina's former home. But now there was a choice - there was no pressing circumstance that would require them to share the same living space. He could easily purchase another residence, much like the other members of Team Retribution. Selina had made no such proposition, though, even despite the fact that they were both mature, young adults. Of course, he wasn't complaining - he had always enjoyed his partner's company. It had just struck him as odd that they shared a home, considering that they weren't… well, _together_ in that sense.

He began preparing his own bed, alerted by the sound of another yawn emanating from the umbreon. It actually sounded kind of adorable. Before he could call it a night, though, his partner spoke. "Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked. Liam thought it over. Everything seemed in order.

"No, not that I know of…"

"You forgot to tuck me in," she said playfully. Now if _that_ wasn't an odd request. She had never asked him to do something like that before. _She must be joking_. It was, after all, in the gentle umbreon's nature to be playful with him. _Ah,_ what _could be the harm in following it up?_ He hopped off of his bed and walked over to hers, where he was greeted with a slightly mischievous grin. "Well?" He rolled his eyes, then gave in to her impish demeanor. She arched her back up, giving him the access to tuck the blanket under her, completely wrapping her in the covers.

"Alright, kakuna - time for bed."

"Goodnight," she giggled, before settling in to the pillow.

"'Night Selina." Within minutes, he succumbed to exhaustion as well.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

Her eyes slowly opened in response to the sunlight peaking into the base. _Ugh, we really should get curtains,_ she thought as she wriggled her way out of the blanket. As usual, two plates of berries were set on the table near the entrance, both untouched. _Always so thoughtful_ , she smiled. He went out every morning and got breakfast for the two of them, and wouldn't even touch his own food until they could both sit down to eat. Right now, he was probably meditating near the edge of the cliff overhead. After washing up in the stream that ran through their house, she walked upstairs and confirmed her suspicion. "There you are," she softly said. He was carefully balancing himself on a single foot on top of the flagpole.

"Here I am." Liam jumped down. "I'm guessing you slept well," he joked.

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Well, aside from the fact that we were both exhausted, I'd say the snoring." She looked at him in disbelief.

"No, I don't do that…"

"Oh yes you do. It's okay though - it was soft. Rather cute, to be honest." She blushed in embarrassment, causing him to laugh. "Don't worry, Selina. I won't tell anyone. It'll be one of our little secrets." _Oh it better be…_

"So… uh… wanna come in and eat now?"

 **. . . . .**

When they had finished their breakfast, the two of them headed into the lively town. Liam had gone off to make a stop by the bank - if Selina was browsing around, odds were that they'd need some money. She, at the moment, was looking over the Kecleon brothers' latest assortment of goods. Maybe, with any luck, they might have received a shipment of black gummis. Despite being members of the same species, neither of the two brothers had taken a name, as everyone in town knew who they were and they were the only kecleons around. However, many more inhabitants Treasure Town had named themselves - when there were only a couple hundred or so inhabitants, it wasn't much of an issue. But when the city grew well into the thousands, and there could be dozens of members of each species, general names weren't going to cut it any more.

"How did I know you would be here?" he asked from behind her. Selina tensed up in fright - and yet she should have expected such a move on his part. Liam could never seem to resist startling an unsuspecting friend.

"Don't… _do_ that," she panted.

"You know," he said, "you really should be expecting this by now…" The frightened umbreon rolled her eyes.

"And yet I lower my guard every time," she murmured. And he wasn't the only one that found it hysterical, either - the Kecleon brothers looked as though they were trying to stifle laughter. "Guys… you two are supposed to be backing me…"

"I'm sorry," the purple kecleon said, "but you should've seen your face just then." Her ears lowered in embarrassment as the other kecleon began to rummage through one of dozens of bags on the shelves.

"To answer your question… yes, we just received a shipment of black gummis - twenty in total."

"Oh? That's great," she chimed. "How much?"

"Fifty for one, but I'll sell you the whole bag for eight-hundred."

"Deal," Liam said without hesitation. _How nice of him_ , she thought, seemingly forgetting the fact that he had startled her just moments before. "Say, do you have any orange gummis?"

"Eh… no," the green kecleon said. "Sorry, but those won't be in for awhile. I do have a couple of silver ones, though, if you would like."

"Okay." As the two went on with the transaction, Selina saw another approach the booth out of the corner of her eye. Another familiar face - a dark type just like herself. _Ugh, her again…_

"Greetings Miss Weavile," the purple kecleon brother said.

"Haven't come to rob the place, have you? Wouldn't want to have to blast you with another aura sphere." Liam teased.

"Very funny," she said in an unamused tone. "Only a moron would try to rob kecleons." It hadn't been too terribly long ago that Team Retribution had undertaken an outlaw job - only to find that their targets were Weavile and her team. Liam, Selina, and Tristan tracked the thieves down to Mt. Travail, where a brutal fight ensued - one that resulted in another one of Team Retribution's countless arrests. Since their offenses were not nearly as major as many of the other outlaws, though, Magnezone had decided upon an early release in exchange for the team's compliance in staying within Treasure Town for the remainder of the year - alongside their promise to abstain from future misconduct.

She quickly scanned over the merchandise before finding exactly what she was looking for. "How much for the evasion orb?" she asked.

"Let's see… how does seven-forty sound?" the purple kecleon responded.

"Would you do seven?" He seemed to ponder it for a moment before eventually nodding.

"Yes, seven would be alright." Weavile began to count out several differently sized coins, placing them on the counter as she went. A light _clink_ sounded as a Ᵽ50 coin dropped to the ground. Liam knelt down and picked it up, then handed it back to her.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

"Thanks," she said, taking it from him before placing it onto the counter with the rest. A single claw briefly made contact with his paw - an unintentional action on the part of the weavile - but the effects were powerful nonetheless. Liam's head begin to spin in a way that he had not felt in quite a long time; his vision clouded as he nearly lost his balance. _Ah… sh-shit!_ That all too familiar darkness overtook him. Then the scene - a nightmare.

Weavile was chained to a stone wall, imprisoned within a dark room. From what he could see, she had been beaten badly, and the life seemed to be absent within her eyes. The nearby sound of footsteps approaching. A door opened and she tried in vain to break free of the chains. "Now, now, you little bitch," a cruel voice said, "this'll be fast. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

"Orders are orders," another said. "This is gonna happen whether you like it or not. Let's just make it quick, alright?"

"Please," she wailed, "do-don't… do this…" Her words were barely coherent, coming out in strained cries.

"Your sentence is to be carried out in a few moments," the first voice said. "I will say, though, it really is a pity. I will miss our little sessions." She broke down into tears, continuing to beg her captors. "Shut the hell up." He stepped closer - enough so that Liam could recognize the species. A towering blaziken stood over her and was growing more irritated with her pleading. "I said shut up!" He struck her with wicked fire punch in the cheek, busting her lip and singing her fur. After another brutal strike to the diaphragm, he unlocked the chains and began to drag the sobbing weavile away.

"It's nothing personal, miss," the second voice - a nidoking - said. "But you might as well not make this any harder on yourself."

"I didn't… do anything t-to—."

"Ah, don't waste my time with that nonsense, darkie. It's in your nature. A fitting end to such a vile creature." He dragged her into the shadows, where the two guards led a broken Weavile towards an unknown destination.

"Liam!" Selina yelled. He snapped out of the horrid vision, greeted by his partner's confused and concerned face. Somehow he had fallen onto the ground, though he had no memory how. The strange looks he received from those present were enough to make him feel uncomfortable. But with a vision like _that_ , he couldn't care less at the moment. "What happened?" she asked. "You just kinda blacked out…" He was speechless - how long had it been? Liam knew _exactly_ what had just happened.

"I just… saw something…" he stammered.

"What? Do you mean?" All of a sudden, Selina caught on to what he meant. "The Dimensional Scream…" All he could do was nod. It had been nearly a year since one of his peculiar episodes had taken place, but the vision had been just as clear as ever.

"Am I… missing something here?" asked Weavile.

"Liam possesses an ability known as the Dimensional Scream - he can sometimes see an event in the past or the future." She obviously wasn't buying it.

"Riiiight… I'ma head out now…" She turned around and left them to themselves. Liam regained his footing and dusted himself off. That vision had been the most haunting one that he had ever experienced - a morbid prediction. What scared him the most was that the Dimensional Scream had never been wrong before. _What… was that?_ Liam found himself wondering. After all this time of remaining dormant, his odd ability would return with such disturbing imagery.

The place in the vision was unlike any he had ever seen before - a large jail system, to say the least. It definitely wasn't the police, either - not with guards like _that_. Wherever it was, Liam desperately hoped that Weavile never went there and that she managed to keep her act together. But that may be too much to ask for from the former thief.

"Earth to Liam," Selina said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"You keep phasing out. Is something wrong?" asked one of the Kecleons.

"What did you see?" followed Selina.

"I… I don't know…"

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

Something had gotten Liam down recently - likely something to do with whatever vision he had back at the market. But Selina simply couldn't figure out what it was. He had fallen silent and no longer found excitement in their time in town. She hated seeing him in such a mood, especially considering how happy and carefree he usually was. Soon after the vision, Liam had retreated from public space, telling her to go ahead and enjoy the rest of her day off. _Oh Liam,_ she thought, _how can you be so oblivious?_ Her time off was only fun if it was spent with him, as it had been these past years. That was really why she decided to form an exploration team with him in the first place, and all that "alone time" in his brief absence had nearly torn her apart.

The umbreon left the outskirts of Treasure Town and approached their home, only to see him sitting across from one of three legendary members of Team Retribution - Eleanor. Selina silently approached the two as they conversed.

"I just… I haven't seen anything like that…" he said. "I can't explain it… the Dimensional Scream hasn't ever revealed something so… _dark_ before."

"Such an ability… is difficult to fully comprehend," the cresselia replied. "The visions that you have seen - have they always been correct?"

"Every single time."

"Then there may be cause for concern," she grimly stated. "But ultimately, neither of us have control over her behavior. What she does is on her, and if she angers the wrong people… well, there isn't anything we can do about that either. We just need to hope that she makes good decisions with her life, and perhaps your vision will not come true." Eleanor paused, then placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "As for what you should do, I would ask that you inform her of this. You have a wonderful ability - one that could perhaps steer her in the right path. Away from what you saw. Certainly a heads up would be greatly appreciated."

"I'm not sure," Liam replied. "Doubt that she'd believe me. She didn't sound too convinced earlier." Selina finally decided to speak up.

"Is something the matter?" Selina asked. "It's not like you to be so down." After a moment of hesitation, Liam began to describe the vision that he had seen - from the weavile's beaten physique to the language of her captors. _Arceus… that sounds terrible,_ Selina thought. True, they had butted heads with Weavile and Team AWD before in the past, but she wouldn't wish anything like _that_ on the former thief.

"I agree with Eleanor," she said after he concluded his recollection. "You should warn her that she needs to stay out of trouble," Selina said. Liam simply rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure - that'd be like asking a squirtle to stay out of water…"

"Well it would be a whole lot better than doing nothing," she countered. "I'm sure I would straighten up if I knew _that_ was what my future held…" Liam found himself at a loss for words, unable to counter her point. The lucario relented with a nod.

"Alright - I'll tell her next time I see her," Liam said.

"I think that would be the best course of action," Eleanor replied with a smile. "Well, I'd best be heading off - Flora and I will be leaving soon for our rescue mission."

"Thanks again for the advice," Liam said.

"Of course - anytime." Eleanor gave him a quick hug, which he returned, before flying off towards the town. Selina made her way to his side, giving him a questioning expression.

"So… what do you want to do now?"

"I'm not sure…" Most of the time, they were engaged in their missions - free time was almost a foreign concept to the two of them. "You got any ideas?" She gave him an eager nod.

"I was thinking that maybe you and I could swing by the Hot Springs." _That's always a great stress reliever, and I'm sure it would do wonders for him right about now,_ she thought.

"That sounds like a good idea…"

"Of course it does - I thought of it!" He couldn't help but smile at her peppy tone. _There we are - that's the Liam I know!_ The lucario quickly retreated into their base, then came out with a bag.

"Figured that I might as well bring dinner, seeing as to how we'll probably get back pretty late." She nodded, but couldn't help but gaze at the all too familiar sash on him.

"Liam… we're only going to the Hot Springs. You're decked out like you're going to war…"

"It never hurts to be prepared." She rolled her eyes, then turned around.

"Alright, whatever you say. Come on, my paranoid lucario." The two casually strolled through the town as they made their way to their relaxing destination. As they passed through the crossroads, Selina couldn't help but feel as though she were forgetting something. _No… we didn't have anything scheduled for today…_

 **. . . . .**

"Ahhhh…" she sighed as she stepped into the warm water. "That feels amazing…" Liam removed his sash, setting it by the bag near the edge of the pool before wading into the spring. "And we've got the whole place to ourselves!"

"Perfect." He slowly took a seat at the edge of the pool, basking in the natural warmth. The umbreon approached his side, then took a seat right beside him.

"Now," she giggled, "about those snacks…"

As the two of them ate, Selina periodically glanced at him. Her plan was working - he was regaining his typical demeanor over the course of their meal. The very demeanor that she had always enjoyed - his happy, thoughtful, and kind disposition. It had been her very comfort throughout the dangers they had faced all of these years. Had it not been for Liam, she didn't know how she would have been able to overcome her timidity.

Unfortunately, though, she had experienced a time in which all that remained of her most treasured partner was but the memories of their time together. Even thinking of those months when he was out of the picture, apparently wiped out of reality, made her tear up. That… that was without a doubt the worst period of her life.

Now, though, he was back where he belonged - in the team that he had created with her. In this world. But then again, this wasn't _really_ his world, was it? Liam came from the future of darkness, a world of terror and despair. Her friend had essentially lost everything upon coming to this time period - his friends, his purpose, even his memory. Memories of a past life that he would never retrieve, other than what Grovyle had told him while he was with them.

This was one of the things about him that confused Selina the most. Surely he had to be upset with the fact that he had forgotten his former life as a human. He never spoke of any of it, though, and she withheld her questions in fear that it may be too sensitive a topic for him to be comfortable discussing. _Maybe he would like to talk about it now…_ She shook her head. _No… if he wanted to talk about it, he would've said something by now…_

"Hey, what's wrong?" he said. "You're uncomfortable about something." _Dang it, forgot…_ Liam had adjusted very well to his new body; and upon evolution, had gained the characteristic abilities of any lucario - including the ability to sense the feelings of others.

"Nothing's wrong, exactly."

"Well you're hesitant about something, that's for sure." Well, he knew that _something_ was up. _Might as well go ahead and ask. Sitting here and thinking it over all day won't do me any good._

"Well… I've kinda always wondered something about you, Liam. Just haven't really known how to ask it…"

"Go ahead. You know you can always talk to me about anything." Eventually settling on her decision, she gave voice to her innermost thoughts.

"Liam… I can't help but wonder… When you really think about it, it's almost like you aren't from this _world_. You came from another time altogether, and yet… you still don't remember any of it, do you?" Liam looked down and remained silent for a moment, and instantly she felt bad about bringing it up. But eventually he responded.

"Sometimes… I get bits and pieces - short, scattered about dreams. Fleeing through the woods with them, sleeping in a cave… but it seems so unfamiliar. Like it's a memory that isn't even mine. But yet it was - my life before all this. I feel like I barely know them - Grovyle, Celebi - and yet they were my best friends. Not a day goes by where I don't wish that I could see them again, and maybe learn more about who we all were. But I'll never get that chance…" Knowing that her partner was constantly dealing with such a turmoil hurt her inside.

"I'm… I'm so sorry…" Selina embraced him with her forepaws, giving Liam a feral hug in an effort to comfort him. He stiffened up for a moment before returning suit.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. Nothing can be done, so I really shouldn't dwell on it. I just hope that somehow, those two are okay…" he sighed. One question had been on her mind upon hearing his dilemma - something that she felt the compelling urge to ask.

"Liam… would you go back if you could?" He gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean? You know that isn't possible. We have no way of making a dimensional hole. And besides, I wouldn't be able to get back. Grovyle said it himself - that dimensional hole was a one-way trip."

"I know… but if it was possible, would you go?" Liam stayed silent for a moment, evidently thinking his answer over carefully. One thing was for certain - he hadn't been expecting that question.

"Well… going and finding out more about my past _would_ be nice… But I don't think I could do it…" Her ears perked up upon hearing this.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Because… I couldn't lose what I know now - you and all the others - to chase what I have forgotten. I'd love to find out what happened throughout all that time, but I would never forfeit being here with you to do so." The fact that he valued their time together more than even discovering his own past brought joy to her heart, and made Selina appreciate him all the more for it.

"You would rather live in uncertainty than leave me?" Liam nodded.

"Of course, Selina. If you were out of the picture… I don't know if that's a life that I would want to live."

"You… really know how to flatter a girl, don't you?" He blushed from her slight implications.

"Th-that's not what I was going for…" he stuttered.

"Oh hush," she said, finding enjoyment in the fact that he was flustered. She looked at his bashful expression, then gave his cheek a quick nuzzle. "You will always be my closest friend, Liam. I am glad that you washed up on the beach that day." _Wait a second, what did I just say?_ "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like _that_."

"That's fine," he chuckled. "I get it. I'm glad that we met too." The former human looked at the sun setting in the distance, realizing how late it had become. It wouldn't be long before it was pitch black outside. "I think it's about time that we headed home," he said.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We'll probably be working tomorrow…"

"Maybe. We'll see what jobs are up." Liam stepped out of the water into the cooler air, shivering from the change in temperature. He put on his sash before offering her his hand.

 **. . . . .**

The two of them made their way back home, where they wasted no time in heading to bed. Selina, though, couldn't seem to sleep. Instead, her mind was filled with thoughts of their conversation. The fact that he would choose her over finding out more about himself touched her in a way that she could not describe. _Thank you, Dialga_ , she thought, _for bringing my friend back._ Thanks to the lord of time himself, she never had to worry about losing the most important thing to her ever again. Selina looked over to his bed, seeing him soundly asleep and curled up into a ball, having accidentally kicked the covers off. _Aww, who looks cute now?_ She rolled her eyes before silently pacing up to his side, pulling the blanket over his form. _Goodnight, partner._ She hopped back into her own bed and tried once more to nod off.

At that very hour, a certain luxray left Spinda's Café, having grown tired of waiting for company that wasn't going to show up.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider leaving a review. I always enjoy listening to everyone's feedback! See you all next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

 **Sorry to keep y'all waiting! Here's the second installment of the story. Got a pretty good idea of where I want to take this story, so there's that. I'm thinking this won't be a very long one, or at least, as compared to what _The Reaper_ and its sequels are going to be. Not sure if I can give even a roundabout estimate, but if I had to say something, it'd be around 150K words maybe. Anyways, if you enjoy reading, please consider leaving a review/favorite, and perhaps check out _The Reaper_ if you enjoy my style of writing. **

**So for the old disclaimer: I don't own nor am I associated with Pokémon, Game Freak, or Chunsoft. All I own are my own characters and the plot.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

He woke up at nearly the same time he always did - seven in the morning. After stretching out, Liam silently got to his feet and made his way to the stream within their house, quietly washing up before he headed out for the day. He contemplated waking his partner so that they could check over the jobs together, but he knew he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it. Not when she looked as tranquil and adorable as she did in her slumber. _Guess_ _I'll just head down there myself._ He stealthily made his way out and shut the trapdoor behind him.

All the stores in Treasure Town were just opening as the lucario passed by, preparing for another day of business. Liam felt a sense of pride every time he looked at the up-and-coming town - the inhabitants here had worked hard in making this a well-developed village, one that had truly earned its place on the map. Yes, there were cities and towns across the land that dwarfed Treasure Town in population and size, but none of them had quite the same feeling within their atmospheres. No, this was the only place that he could think of calling home.

Along the way, he made sure to look for Weavile. Knowing what he did, Liam couldn't bear the thought of that being her future. While they may have clashed in the past, Liam had felt her aura before. Misguided as she was, and as selfish as her team's actions may have been, there was still good within all of them. Unfortunately, he had no luck in finding any of the members of Team AWD as he traversed through town. He would have to look another day.

As he climbed the all-too-familiar steps, the Guild came into vision. Most people were likely still asleep, but fortunately, Diglett and Loudred woke earlier than the rest of the crew in order to admit teams that might want to take jobs. Liam approached the sentry grate and stood on top of it. Beneath him, he could hear the two of them conversing. "It's a lucario - not sure which one, though."

"Are you kidding me? I'm the only lucario around these parts..."

"Oh, it's you Liam," Diglett called out. "And no, you aren't. There's another that recently moved into town." This piqued Liam's interest; after all, those of his own kind were pretty uncommon.

"Really? Who?"

"Umm… dang it, what was her name, Loudred?"

"Think it was Rachel… not totally sure though." It was impossible to not hear the ridiculously loud pokémon's voice, even as far away as Liam was. Lucarios, though, were pretty rare - especially around this area. Perhaps they could meet at some point. But right now, there were other matters at hand, like what work the team may take today.

"Alright, well now that you've made sure that I'm not an outlaw or something, can I please come in?"

"Whoops, sure thing." Soon after, the gate that barred the entrance was lifted, allowing him passage into the Guild. Liam headed downward, to which he passed by a few of his old guild-members on his way to the outlaw notice board. The few that were up and about were clearly not very energetic. _Still too early for most of them,_ he thought. When he got there, he was surprised to find Tristan staring at the various jobs posted.

"Damn dude, you're here earlier than me, and that's saying something." The luxray looked over at him and gave off a forced smile.

"Hey Liam. Just thought I'd come and get first crack at the jobs. Looks like I got here just in time, too…" Looking up at the board, Liam noticed what the luxray was referring to. Only a single job was posted, with the word "urgent" written in bold, red letters over a beedrill's picture.

"We've got quite the selection to choose from, don't we?" the lucario asked. Tristan nodded.

"Yep. If we're gonna work today, this is what we'll be doing."

"Well alright then. What's up with this guy?" he asked, looking at the picture of the outlaw. _Huh, Venom the beedrill…_

"Says that he was last spotted near Mount Bristle, and that he's wanted for two separate accounts of murder…" Of all the outlaws that Team Retribution had taken down, the murderers were always the most satisfying to get rid of - while also being the riskiest. With the prospect of a death sentence awaiting them should they be apprehended, pokémon guilty of such crimes were likely to fight to the very last breath. After all, what did they have to lose?

"What's the bounty?"

"It… actually doesn't say," the luxray replied confusedly.

"Huh, that's weird…"

"Well… we gonna take it?" Tristan inquired. Liam thought it over for a moment. The less criminals running loose, the better - especially murderers. And few teams had ever matched Team Retribution in terms of outlaw captures. _Eh, why the hell not?_

"I guess so. Never hurts to put another thug behind bars… well, Venom won't be behind bars very long, but you know what I mean. Now to put a team together…" Liam considered his options. _Let's see… both Eleanor and Flora are still in Fogbound Lake, and Marvin is probably doing his rounds off the southwestern coast by now. So that just leaves us and Selina. But then again… she'd have a real disadvantage going up against a beedrill… and one that is willing to kill… No, she's gonna sit this one out. Not that she couldn't take him, but it's not worth the risk, and there might be others…_ "Maybe it would be best if just you and I went," Liam eventually concluded.

"Why do you say that?"

"I mean, Selina would have a pretty bad type disadvantage going in there."

"So? She's helped stop _four_ legendaries. I doubt a bug-type is going to pose too much of a threat to her."

"Maybe," Liam admitted, "but none of those instances were optional. We did what needed to be done, and didn't have much of a choice. But this time… there's no reason to needlessly expose her to danger, now is there?" Tristan relented - it would do him no good to debate the point any further against Team Retribution's leader.

"Alright."

"Great. Now that that's settled, you go ahead and reserve the job while I go make preparations." Snatching the paper off of the board, Liam left the Guild. A quick trip to Kangaskhan Storage and the base would be in order before they were to depart. As the lucario made his way back to the town, he mentally prepared a list of the things they would need for the quick trip - a couple of meals, a few pecha berries, maybe a luminous orb, and he certainly couldn't forget to bring his sash. _While I'm there, I'll let Selina know about the mission. That is, if she's even awake…_

 ** _. . . . ._**

 _Well I guess that answers that,_ he thought as he set the bowl of berries on the table. The umbreon looked as though she were passed out, her chest rising and falling with slow, heavy breaths. _Shit… she's out for the count…_ Liam walked beside his bed and retrieved the spike-adorned sash out of his chest, gently shutting it so as not to wake his slumbering friend. He was set to go catch the beedrill at this point, but he couldn't leave in good conscience if he didn't alert Selina as to where he and Tristan were going. No doubt she'd be unpleasantly surprised to wake up without a clue of where he had gone. But casting another glance to her form, he admittedly wouldn't feel good about waking her up, either.

Settling on the next best option, Liam grabbed the quill off of the desk, and began to write.

 _Good morning Selina. You were out like a rock earlier this morning, and I couldn_ _'t bring myself to wake you. Anyways, Tristan and I have taken a job, and by the time you read this, we will probably be off. Now I'm sure this might seem a bit rude, seeing as to how we didn't bring you. I promise that there was a reason behind that decision. The outlaw we are going to go after has been convicted of murder, and is a bug-type. I know that he is probably well within your ability to take, but I see no reason to risk your safety over this one. I can't bear the thought of you getting injured or killed. Seeya in a day or two._

 _-Liam_

 _That takes care of that_ , he thought. Picking up the team's treasure bag, Liam snuck out without a sound. Hurrying back to Treasure Town, he found Tristan waiting for him by the Link Shop.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep."

 **. . . . .**

The two of them set out for Waterfall Cave, expecting to arrive there early in the afternoon. Such a journey would inevitably come with hours of boredom. _Oh well, at least the weather is nice,_ Liam thought as he gazed about the morning scenery. A few flying-types perched in trees here and there, some singing and calling out to each other. Off to the right of the path and into the woods, he could see a nidoqueen traversing through low shrubbery with her young ones, likely going out to search for food. Why anyone would want to dwell within the wilderness was beyond Liam's comprehension - participation within civilization was a far easier way to make a living, not to mention much safer. _To each their own, but still…_

It wasn't as though the "wild" pokémon were out of touch with modern times; many of them made small houses and dens, and had an "economy" of their own going. But there was no central authority. No police. If anything were to go wrong - if outlaws were to invade - they would be the only line of defense. In Liam's opinion, they should abandon the widespread anarchy they lived under and establish some form of unity. After all, what the hell did they have to lose?

"Something on your mind?" Tristan asked the lucario.

"Nothing much. Just couldn't help but think how weird it is that some people are still living in the woods like this." Tristan quickly glanced about the few scattered wild pokémon around them, before responding in a lowly voice to ensure that his words stayed between the two of them.

"Seems sort of _savage_ to me. Still poking about in the dirt, looking for food to survive. No agriculture, no order - nothing. Like nothing's changed over thousands of years. Once they bear witness to the benefits of a civilized society, they would surely leave all this pack behavior shit behind."

"Can't disagree with that." After all, who wanted to live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and continuously have to devote all of their time simply to surviving? But as strange as it was, this was the life that the majority of pokémon on this continent lived. Unlike the other lands, this country had been very delayed in creating societies, and cities and towns - apart from ancient civilizations and monuments - were somewhat of a new concept. "Give it some time, I guess. They'll probably come around."

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

After waking up, she waited… and waited. They usually ate breakfast together, after all. But Liam clearly was not coming this morning. She ate in solitude - something she wasn't used to. Where had he gone off to? He wasn't outside, that was for sure. Eventually, though, she noticed the note. Selina became agitated as she skimmed it over. _They left without me?! They took a job, and left without me?!_ But as irritated as she was, she couldn't remain angry at Liam - especially when she made her way further into the note. _Oh…_ She still didn't appreciate being left out of a job - Liam _never_ did that. The work that they did was always dangerous, especially due to the fact that the vast majority of their jobs consisted of capturing outlaws. But this criminal was different than most, and Liam had done what he had done out of his concern for her. _Fine… I guess I'll let this slide… just this once…_ Now to find something to do.

Eleanor and Flora still had yet to return from their mission, so that was off the table. And she sure didn't feel like taking a job on her own. But the prospect of sitting around and not doing anything wasn't too appealing, either. _Well… I guess it couldn't hurt to take a stroll through town…_

So without a clear goal in mind, other than to kill time, Selina made her way into town. She didn't feel like shopping, but rather simply being around other people. Maybe Liam could stand being alone for long periods of time, but not her. For over an hour, Selina made small talk with the town's inhabitants as she wandered the dusty roads of Treasure Town. _Maybe I should go visit my friends at the Guild,_ she thought.

It was there that she found a commotion; everyone gathered around something, or rather someone, in front of Wigglytuff's quarters. _What's going on?_ For a brief second, she thought that she saw Liam in the center of attention. But upon getting a better look, Selina realized that this was far from true. This lucario was noticeably feminine, with a graceful figure and a genuine, captivating expression. Several of the Guild's males were staring at her in nothing short of adoration. _Arceus… she's beautiful…_

"Who… who is this?" Selina asked.

"That would be Rachel," Chatot said, who was beside her. "She's a new arrival in town. A highly skilled bounty hunter. "

"So what's the big deal?"

"She's come seeking information, and is waiting for the guildmaster. Although, to be perfectly honest, I'm sure she'll be waiting awhile. He's probably sleeping in, and you know there's no waking him when that happens."

Eventually, Rachel must've come to realize this, as she became slightly impatient with waiting in vain. "I guess I'll just ask him some other time," she concluded as she turned to leave.

"My apologies for the guildmaster's… unintentionally inconsiderate treatment towards a guest. Would you like leave a message for him?" Chatot asked.

"If it wouldn't be too much of a bother. Could you let him know that I wish to meet with the leader of Team Retribution? I heard that he had ties to this guild, and was hoping to speak with him."

"Liam isn't going to be here for at least another day or so. He and Tristan took the only mission we had posted earlier this morning," Chimecho answered.

"But really, you don't need to speak with the guildmaster - talk to her," Sunflora said, pointing at Selina. Rachel looked at the umbreon with curiousness.

"Really? Who might you be?"

"My name's Selina. Liam and I started the team together years ago."

"Oh! So you are the co-founder of the team?"

"Mhm."

Would it be alright if I spoke with you in private, then?"

"Of course, follow me." The two left the presence of the guild members, to which Selina led them towards Spinda's Cafe. Since most people were out and about on weekdays like this, the cafe would be a nice, quiet place to discuss whatever it was the lucario wanted to talk about. The umbreon took their usual table near the back left corner of the restaurant, and they both took a seat.

"Thank you for being willing to see me on such a short notice," Rachel said.

"No problem. Not like I had anything else to do today. Liam and Tristan took the job while I was still sleeping, and went ahead and left."

"Now why'd they go and do a thing like that?" the lucario asked. "Kinda seems a bit inconsiderate if you ask me. Not what I'd expect from someone of Liam's status…"

"That's what I'd thought at first, but Liam left a note explaining his decision. They're going after a murderer that has a type advantage over me, and it could very well be a fight to the death. He didn't want to risk me getting hurt."

"So his mind was in the right place then. That's very caring of him to be so protecting of you."

"Yeah," Selina replied with a slight blush, "he's always so thoughtful." Snapping herself out of it, she changed the subject. "Anyway, I'm sure this isn't what you wished to discuss."

"That is correct. What I wanted was to make a request."

"Oh, so like a job? Sure thing, that'd give us something to do tomorrow."

"No, I did not come with a job request," Rachel refuted. "Actually, I wanted to ask… if you would consider accepting me as a member of Team Retribution." Selina froze up - that had been completely out of the blue.

"You… want to join the team?"

"I've given a great deal of thought towards this, and I have decided that I would like to." Over the years, Team Retribution had received its fair share of people who wanted to join. But more often than not, they were turned down due to the team's very selective recruitment standards. It wasn't that they wanted to come across as harsh, but they also pursued high caliber jobs that could seriously endanger the lives of anyone unprepared to deal with such challenges. The only exception to this had been Marvin, who typically took only the easiest jobs available. They couldn't turn their own "child" down, not after they had raised him from the egg they found at Surrounded Sea.

"O-okay. Well Liam and I always jointly make the decision regarding recruits. You won't know anything for sure until he comes back and hears everything out."

"I see…"

"But I'll still speak with you about it. Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"Alright. I grew up with my parents at Crystal Cave, where I trained until I evolved. When I became fifty-two seasons old, I decided to pursue bounty hunting on my own, so I formed a one-member team."

"You did? What is your rank?"

"Master One, getting close to Two."

"That's… really impressive for a one person team…"

"Thank you."

"If you join us though… you would lose your team. I don't understand why you would want to do that…"

"Truth be told, I had thought at first that I wanted to devote myself to a life of solitude… but that just becomes miserable after awhile. I've been doing this for three years now, and I'm ready to put an end to it. I've brought dozens of criminals to justice by my own hand... but I no longer want that to be a case. Despite my reputation and high rank, I have no friends. I came here in hopes that I might be able to change that by working in a team." She looked down at her paws, as though she were suddenly uncertain about the request. "I realize that I'm asking an awful lot, considering Team Retribution is one of only three teams in the continent with the Guildmaster Rank, but I refused to not at least try."

Selina thought over the proposition. They hadn't taken a new recruit ever since they let Tristan join, and that had been a little more than a year ago. Only the most physically adept were accepted into Team Retribution, and Rachel had quite the impressive "resume," so to speak.

"You're… definitely one of the most qualified people to have asked for recruitment," Selina said. "All things considered, I'd find it hard to turn down such a request."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. But like I said before, I can't make the decision without Liam. We always do that together."

"I understand."

"But no worries! I'm sure Liam will agree to it. He might try to act tough all the time, but in reality he's a sweetheart. Once he sees all that you've accomplished, and what you're willing to forego to join the team, he's more than likely to let you in."

"You think so?" Rachel asked.

"Mhm."

"Ah, that's a relief…"

"If all goes well, he should be back by tomorrow. Then you'll have the opportunity to speak with him about this yourself." Rachel nodded, then stood up.

"That sounds great. Well, while we're here, how about a drink? My treat."

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

The first signal that they were nearing their destination came with the police-constructed perimeter of the area. Magnemites and magnetons had blocked access to the main roads leading to the cave system, and weren't allowing pokémon to enter. Only by conversing with the police chief were Liam and Tristan allowed to go forth. Despite his monotonous, robotic tone, there was no doubt that he was relieved to discover that someone of their rank had taken the job. With the continent's police force as new as it was, it wasn't exactly trained to deal with the more dangerous outlaws.

Liam and Tristan had felt the atmospheric change as the great waterfall came into sight. The torrents of water pounded down, and the surrounding earth seemed to shake from it. The two of them walked up the protruding stone walkway, nearing the entrance of the concealed cave.

"Well, here we are," Tristan yelled over the loud, cascading sound. "Somewhere in here, that piece of shit is waiting." Although Tristan, like the others, was always in opposition to the criminal scum they apprehended, he seemed to be even more hostile than usual towards this particular outlaw.

"Yep. Now comes the fun part," Liam joked.

"Oh joy, my second bath today." The two of them backed up, getting ready to charge through the torrent. "I guess on three," he said, clearly irritated that he was about to get soaked. "One…"

"Three!" Liam shouted. He didn't look back at Tristan's annoyed expression, but rather ran forth and leaped through the waterfall. He landed with a light splash into a small puddle, only to be joined by the luxray a split second afterward.

"I shouldn't be surprised."

"No, you shouldn't." Liam looked around through the spacious cave, allowing for his eyes to adjust to the darker environment. Slender stalactites hung from the ceiling, dropping water from minuscule sources within the rock. Several individual caverns allotted the cave wall, each stretching out into their own respective parts of the massive cave system.

"Any idea which way we should go?"

"No, not really." With over half a dozen different entrances to choose from, and a maze-like complex behind each one, they had no leads. Their best bet was to simply pick one and go from there. "Well, I guess we should start here," Liam said, pointing to the nearest entrance to the right. "Gotta keep our voices down. Wouldn't want to alert the outlaw."

So they began their tiring search for the beedrill hidden within the maze of tunnels. Wild pokémon, which usually swam around the shallow streams and walked among the caves in abundance, were scarce and few. _Looks like they've been scared off… maybe evacuated…_ Turn after turn, Liam and Tristan navigated for hours. Every time they felt as though they were nearing the end of the system, several more branches appeared as though to prove them wrong. Finally they decided to rest for a moment and eat a quick dinner.

Liam took the food out of the treasure bag, consisting of two apples and a few berries, and distributed it onto the two cloths that he had brought. They ate in silence for the most part, and continued to watch for anything suspicious; they couldn't let their guard down for a single moment. While munching on his apple, Tristan looked up at Liam momentarily. "Hey… I wanted to ask something, if you wouldn't mind," he said quietly.

"Not at all. What's up?"

"See, I was wondering the other day… and I hope you don't think I'm prying or anything… but you and Selina still share the same den, don't you?" _Well if that isn't off topic…_

"Well, when you put it that way, yeah. Ever since we graduated, we had to move out into our own place. Selina decided that we could set up shop in her old place." Tristan nodded.

"Don't you think it comes across as… odd? You two do not have a bond of _that_ nature. Don't you find it a bit weird at all?"

"To tell ya the truth, maybe. But we've always shared a room, so things have never been strange between the two of us."

"But people might begin to speculate… you know, the two of you being of age and all…"

"Have you overheard anyone talking?" Liam asked.

"No… not that I know of…"

"Then it really isn't a problem, is it?"

"I guess not…"

"If anyone says anything, I will put the rumor to rest. And if Selina for any reason feels uncomfortable with it all, she would tell me. If that's the case, then I'll gladly move out and buy my own place." Tristan remained silent about the matter at that point, and focused on finishing his meal.

When the two of them were done, they got up and continued downward. For some reason, Tristan appeared to be upset over something, and Liam couldn't quite understand what. Usually he was devoid of negative emotions; it definitely wasn't like him to sulk of all things. But he would have to wait until later to ask him what was bothering him. Right now, they needed to keep their attention geared towards completing the job.

An hour later and they walked into a vast opening, coming to face a dead end. _Great._ Shallow puddles were littered about the large room, and they were surrounded by jagged stalagmites jutting out from the ground in various angles.

"Looks like this is the end of the line," Tristan said. "There ain't nothing here. We should retrace our steps some." Looking around, Liam had to admit that they certainly were alone in the room. But aside from the occasional drips of water amid the atmosphere, Liam's attention was captured by something else. His aura sensing abilities hadn't been of much use throughout the search for the beedrill; most of the native pokémon were either in hiding or fled upon sight. As such, there had been very little to sense around him. But now…

Somehow, he was picking up _several_ unfamiliar auras - not a one of them wholesome. No, these were without even the most basic of moral constraints that were naturally within most pokémon. These were animals.

"Come on Liam," Tristan said.

"No…"

"What?"

"We… we aren't alone in here…" They both immediately took defensive stances, readying themselves for whatever may be present, with Liam swiftly taking an iron thorn into his right paw. "Come out of hiding, you cowards!" A moment passes, and the silence was broken by a faint buzzing sound. From behind one of the multiple rocky outcroppings, a large bug-type, sporting a pair of sharp, wicked stingers emerged, hovering several feet off the ground.

"So you must be Liam of Retribution…" the beedrill said, with a ruthless, hissing voice. "Oh, how I would love to impale you right here."

"It's over Venom. You're coming with us," Tristan growled.

"Of course, why don't I just willingly hand myself over to my executioners? Like hell."

"You don't have a say in the matter. You're gettin' dragged outta this cave one way or another," Liam said. "So no need to get beaten within an inch of your miserable life."

"You don't seem to understand the situation you're in," the outlaw stated flatly. As if on cue, several pokémon stepped out from behind the stalagmites, each coming from a different direction to surround the two of them. They quickly shifted so that they were back-to-back. "We aren't going anywhere. You two, on the other hand… you're going to die."

"Get ready, I'm about to flash 'em," Liam whispered to Tristan while readying a luminous orb.

"Alright," he said, "I've got the blaziken and the mightyena. You take the nidoking and psycho over there."

"I'll have your heads sent back to your loved ones," Venom spat.

"It's no use. He's not coming back with us. Not alive."

"That's fine by me."

"You were right about one thing," the beedrill continued. "This is the end of the line - the end of the line for you!" He lunged towards Liam, and the rest closed in around them.

"NOW!" The orb was hurled onto the ground in front of the lucario, and a bright flash illuminated the room. Liam and Tristan both attacked without hesitation. In the midst of the one-way fight, an iron thorn was thrown, and a sickening crack sounded as it hit its mark.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys, sorry for the wait! Huge thanks to Lunar Archangel for proof reading all of the chapters and finding the typos that I'd overlooked.**

 **Still don't own Pokémon.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

Tristan stood guard over the fallen outlaws as Liam transported them out one by one. The process was a lengthy one at that, but the luxray could easily handle the criminals in their weakened predicament. They were strewn about, within a shallow pool of water. If one of them so much as moved a muscle, they all got a nasty shock. He'd already given them several.

Three of the outlaws remained, Liam having carried Venom out of the cave back to the authorities. One thing concerned them though, and that was the prospect of moving the nidoking. There was no way either of them would be able to carry him, let alone over half a mile of twisting tunnels. And dragging him would take forever. Even as strong as Liam was, this was way beyond the two of them. _I'm sure we'll think of something,_ Tristan thought. His ears perked up in response to the sound of incoming footsteps. _Who the hell did he bring with him?_

He stood up and peeked around the corner. Liam was being followed by several officers and a machoke. "Brought some help," the lucario stated.

"Alright, I think we'll be able to take the rest out in one go then."

"Thanks again for this," Liam said to the machoke.

"Not a problem! Thanks for taking out Venom."

"Yes," a magnemite said, its robotic voice as monotone as always, "this outlaw has been particularly concerning to us. It is good to know that he will no longer terrorize people."

"Yeah," Liam said, looking down at the unconscious outlaws. "Listen, I didn't mean to… you know… I missed my shot. I was aiming for his arm, and I just… I don't know what happened…"

"That is alright," Magnezone stated. "Venom would have been given the death penalty, and given his violent history, death was going to likely come with his defeat." Though violent outlaws typically had the "dead or alive" condition understood, Team Retribution always tried to bring them in alive. This hadn't been the first kill under Liam's career, and it didn't keep him up at night - not any more, at least. But the fact still stood that it was quite uncommon for them, and he didn't mean to do it.

The first time, on the other hand, nearly devastated the poor lucario. It had been half a year before Tristan had joined the team. He and Selina had taken a job on Mount Travail, where they pursued a houndoom named Cerberus. The outlaw had given them both an intense fight, keeping Liam at bay with his fire-type attacks and wearing Selina out with his ruthlessness. Then the accident; Liam struck the houndoom with such force in an effort to end the fight that he sent Cerberus rolling. The hit clearly knocked him out cold, and the job would have been concluded with another successful capture, except for the fact that he rolled over the cliff. Liam used extreme speed, attempting to grab on to him before it happened, but he was too late. He watched as the canine fell to his death.

Liam struggled with it for days, and everyone in the team tried to cheer him up to no avail. All he had seemed to want to do at the time was sit at the base and try to clear his mind of it. But every time he closed his eyes, images of the dismembered houndoom flashed into his mind. Only Selina had managed to break through to him and convince him that it wasn't his fault. Tristan shook his head. None of it made sense - Liam was better than that. To beat one's self up over the death of a criminal was beyond the luxray. Though he did feel sorry for what his partner had gone through, he couldn't understand it in the slightest. But then again, he hadn't killed anyone yet. _And here's hoping it stays that way_ , he thought.

The machoke hoisted the nidoking over his shoulder - a testament to his impressive strength. Liam helped lift the mightyena onto Tristan's back, then assisted the magnemites in carrying the blaziken. Liam led the way out one final time, and the sound of the roaring water greeted their ears once again.

Truth be told, Tristan was more than ready to get back. Soon it would be dawn, and if they kept a good pace, they might actually be back in Treasure Town around noon. While the magnemites went about chaining the living outlaws, Magnezone brought Liam and Tristan aside. "The two of you have done us a great service by taking care of this outlaw." The lead officer signaled another, who brought forth a decently-sized pouch of coins. "This is the bounty for taking care of Venom and the others - Ᵽ15,000." _Wow,_ Tristan thought, _that's not a bad payout…_

"Thank you officer," Liam said. "If you don't mind me asking, who were the other three? What were they doing here?"

"Nothing more than a group of thieves. Robbed a couple of Kecleon Shops here and there. I probably shouldn't say this, but that is rather impressive. They should be behind bars for awhile, but they'll get out eventually."

With their job here being done, and both of them being exhausted, Liam and Tristan decided to head out. It was still early in the morning; once they got back, it would be far too early for most people to turn in for the day. _Screw that,_ the luxray thought, _the moment I get back, I'm headed to bed._

"Good work back there," Liam stated.

"Thanks, you too. Way to stick it to that beedrill," he laughed. Liam simply rolled his eyes.

"Very funny."

"Anyways… how much is the guild getting?" Liam looked over at him, visibly confused.

"What do you mean? You know the rule. Ninety percent." _Yeah, but that rule is bullshit._

"Don't you think that the team has been doing that shit for long enough? Hell, over three years? There's no way your and Selina's training hasn't been paid for several times over. There are definitely ways we could avoid that stupid tax."

"Clearly you have something in mind. What is it?"

"Simple, really. The reward wasn't posted, right? So how the hell would they know what we made?"

"So you're suggesting we lie about what we earned?" Liam asked.

"I mean when you say it like that…"

"How else could I say it?"

"You know, we aren't in the wrong for defending what we rightfully earned. And there's no set law or anything _making_ us pay this ridiculous amount. There ain't any reason why we should have to work our tails off just so the Guildmaster can sit on his ass all day and decide what to do with the money that _we_ earned."

"I know it kinda sucks… but it's not like they're keeping the money. Think about it like this - we're growing the town by doing what we're doing. All these new people moving in, all these new businesses opening up - that's all because of the funding from exploration teams like us."

"It's not their fucking money to be handing out," Tristan retorted.

"…No," Liam admitted, "it's not. But I'm fine with it as long as it doesn't go into anyone's pockets and keeps helping the town. Besides, Selina and I are easily the richest people in Treasure Town. Not like we're taking a big hit or anything."

"Maybe you're cool with it, but I'm sure as hell not." Though he may have joined Team Retribution on his own accord, there wasn't any reason as to why he should have to comply with an unwritten rule that he didn't agree with - even if the leader did. "I might be willing to pay a fifth, maybe a quarter - but ninety percent is complete bullshit and you know it."

"Alright, fine," Liam sighed, "I'll talk with Chatot about it. Can't make any guarantees, though." Figuring that was as good of a response as he would get, Tristan dropped the issue.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

 _Finally…_ After a long journey back, the outskirts of town were always a welcome sight. Despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to sleep for hours on end, there were still a few more stops that he needed to make.

Before he paid the guild, he decided that a bath was an absolute must. Liam retreated back to the team base, finding it to be empty. _That's strange, I didn't see her in town…_ Deciding to focus on the task at hand, the lucario grabbed a cake of soap and headed to the stream of water that flowed through the room. It never ceased to amaze him just how much dirt his fur could manage to hold. As he finished rinsing himself off, the trapdoor entrance to the base could be heard opening. _Huh, Selina must be back._

"Back so soon," she said with a playful smirk. "You simply couldn't stay away from me, could you?"

"Haha, we'll go with that."

"Aww, you didn't even miss me a little?" she asked with a forced pout.

"Alright," he grinned, "maybe just a _little_." He grabbed a large cloth and began to dry himself off. "Anyways, we took care of Venom. Had some other guys with him too."

"Of course you did. He didn't even stand a chance, did he?" she asked proudly. "Not against you."

"No. Learned that I need to lay off the iron thorns, though."

"Why's that?"

"Accidentally threw one through his heart."

"Oh Arceus," she muttered. "You missed and killed him?"

"Yeah. I don't get it, either. I almost never slip up like that. Not at that range, at least."

"What did Officer Magnezone say?"

"That since he was a violent criminal and would've gotten the death penalty, it was fine. That and the fact that this was more of a dead or alive type of thing. I'm not in trouble or anything, and I'm not about to beat myself up over it… just kinda didn't mean for it to happen."

"Well don't let it bother you anymore. Oh, almost forgot - there's someone outside waiting to meet you."

"There is?"

"Mhm. Someone interested in joining the team." _Hah, good luck with that one pal._ Team Retribution only accepted the best recruits, and as harsh as it sounded, they had turned down way more people than they had allowed to join.

"Have you spoken with 'em?"

"Yeah. Bounty hunter. She's easily one of the best I've ever seen. She uhh… got the first master ranking… without any teammates…" Liam's eyes went wide in shock.

"Good lord, how in the world did she manage to accomplish that?" As harsh as their standards were, there was no denying that whoever this new recruit was, she had to be incredibly adept to pull off something like that. Such a feat put her among the most elite teams, and she had no partners.

"I don't understand it either. I talked with her yesterday, and I just haven't seen anyone like her. She's willing to give that ranking up in order to join the team. That is, if you're up for it."

"What, uhh… what do you think?" he asked.

"She's very nice, that much is for sure. She wants to leave the life of solitude behind, so she figured that she'd try to join a team. Definitely aiming high. And yet, I see no reason to deny her."

"Alright, I'll head up there in just a moment," he said as he finished drying himself off, before combing all his fur back into place. "What's her name?"

"Rachel." Liam stopped what he was doing. Where had he heard that name before? And so recently…

"Wait a second, she's that new lucario in town, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Have you met her before?"

"No, but I heard the name back at the guild the other day." He hurried up his preparations - lucarios were incredibly rare, and now he finally had the chance to meet another member of his species. "Do I look presentable?"

"Sharp as always." He grabbed his sash and was getting ready to put it on. "Hey now, there's no need for that."

"What? But I always—."

"Arceus, Liam, that's not how you introduce yourself to someone."

"Same way we met Tristan. And besides, she's a bounty hunter of all things. Why would this be any—."

"Liam," she said sweetly, knowing fully well that it would work, "please don't. There's really no need, and you know it."

"Alright, alright." He set the sash to the side and joined her near the door. Try as he might, he'd always been unable to deny Selina - especially when she asked in such an endearing manner. "One of these days I'm gonna learn how to look past that you know…"

"No you won't," she said with a smirk. Clearly the umbreon enjoyed the fact that she had Liam wrapped around her paw. They climbed the stairs outside, where a rather attractive lucario stood waiting for them.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

For once, it looked as though Liam were having trouble remaining professional in front of the other lucario. She certainly had his attention to say the least. Seeing such a blank stare from her partner struck a cord within the umbreon, and Selina shifted ever so slightly closer to him, though she didn't know why.

"Hi there," Rachel said, her previous assertiveness having been lost within Liam's presence. "I assume… that you've heard of my request?"

"Yes," he said with a nod, "I have. I've gotta say, your past experience is impressive - I don't know of any single person who's climbed through the ranks like that."

"Thank you," she said cheerfully.

"I want to make sure that you know this beforehand," Liam said. "You do know that your current organization will be disbanded if you join us, right?" Rachel nodded.

"I am fully aware of that."

"And you are fine with this?"

"I am."

"Well alright then. Could you give Selina and I a moment?" Liam and Selina went into their house for privacy. The decision was always to be made by the two of them, and even though Rachel's "credentials" were impressive, it would be sort of off to come to a conclusion right in front of her. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I say we let her in. She could really help with all our outlaw missions with all her experience."

"My thoughts exactly."

"So… it's settled then?" the umbreon asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go up and tell her." The two partners approached her once again, this time with a confirmation.

"That was quick," she stated.

"Yeah, you didn't give us much to discuss," Liam said. "I don't see how we could turn your request down. Your rank alone would lead us towards accepting you." A large smile spread across her face.

"Thank you so much," she said, before quickly hugging him, much to their surprise. Countless confused thoughts swarmed Selina's mind, the foremost being agitation. Just who did this girl think she was doing such a thing to Liam? Apparently realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Rachel backed away. "S-sorry about that."

"That's okay…" _No it isn't_ , Selina thought, though she decided to keep it to herself. "Before you can join us, though, you will need to disband your own team. You can do that by speaking with Chimecho over at the guild."

"Sure thing," Rachel replied. "I'll take care of that right away!"

"Good to hear. I better head down there myself. Gotta hand in the guild's percentage of the last job's earnings." The female lucario turned to leave, but then stopped for a split second.

"Thank you two so much. I'll be sure not to let you down!"

Once they were alone again, Selina hopped onto her bed and reflected on her previous state of mind. Liam had always been her closest friend, so it was only natural that she would feel protective over him. But if she was being honest with herself, she had to admit that her thoughts and discomfort had been borderline possessive. _Ugh, what's wrong with me?_ As she looked out of the corner of her eye at Liam, who was sitting at the table counting the money, she couldn't help but think about what Liam meant to her. To her, the most treasured person in the entire world - nothing less. But was there something more?

"And that's Ᵽ13,500," he said, finally separating all of the coins. "Alright, I shouldn't be long. Gotta make a couple of stops, then I'll be back. You got any plans for the day?"

"No," she said quietly. Liam caught on to the slight dismay in her voice.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong…"

"Selina… you know you're a horrible liar." Yes, she _did_ know. "Seriously, I'm here for you. What's up?"

"No, really," she persisted, this time being sure to speak in a much more lighthearted manner, "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong." He didn't look too convinced, but decided to let the matter go for the time being.

"Alright then…" He took the coins with him in two different pouches and left the umbreon to herself. She didn't mean to blow him off like that, but how in the world could she be upfront with him about such a thing? It would have been embarrassing, that's for sure. _And what would come out of it?_ Liam surely wouldn't know how to respond.

One thing was for certain - she needed to take her mind off of this somehow. Maybe when Liam came back, he'd want to go out and do something. After all, it had been quite a while since they had gone to the beach. _But then again… Liam might be tired after yesterday's mission…_ Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

How the hell he was going to explain this to Chatot, he had no idea. The way in which Team Retribution split the earnings was simple division amongst all the participating members. Everyone had to pay their ninety percent, though; that took precedence above all. Or at least it had. Tristan's request would, all things considered, greatly lower the guild's profit from jobs taken by their team. And if Tristan decided to take on a job by himself, the guild would earn very little. _Great, that bird's gonna be pissed._ And yet there was nothing the second-in-command of the guild could do about it. Tristan had no ties to them.

Liam stood on the sentry grate, then, after gaining clearance, headed inside. Most of the guild's inhabitants were out for the time being, either in town or off exploring. Perfect - that meant that surely Chatot would have a few moments to discuss this. As he descended into the lowest level, he found the person he was looking for.

"Another successful mission I presume?"

"Yeah," Liam replied. "You could say that."

"How much did you earn?" Chatot asked.

"Ᵽ15,000 total."

"Arceus!" the bird exclaimed. "That's one of your highest yet!"

"Yep. Come and find out, Venom was with a band of thieves. We got paid for bringing those three in as well."

"What about Venom?"

"…He won't be terrorizing anyone ever again, that's for sure."

"Oh… I see," he muttered. "Well, the fault lies with him and him alone."

"Yeah, it just is what it is. Nothing I can do about it now." He retrieved one of two pouches - the larger of the two - out of his bag. "Anyways, here's the guild's share of the rewards." Chatot motioned for him to set it on the ground level with him.

"Thank you for your contribution. With this, we should be able to set the foundations for more settlements, and we might even have enough to expand the roads out to the new sites." _Ah great, just when he's happy and all…_ But now was as good a time as any to tell him; he certainly wouldn't want to break the news to Chatot on a bad day.

"Listen, there's something we need to talk about…"

"Alright, I'm all ears."

"Well… after we finished the mission, Tristan and I were talking, and to sum it all up, he dislikes paying ninety percent of everything he earns to the guild…" Chatot's eyes went wide - he clearly wasn't expecting to hear that.

"Wh-what do you mean? All of the money goes towards—."

"I know," Liam interjected, "I know. But he feels as though it is unfair, especially considering that he has no ties with the guild. There's no law about this; it's all practically donation. But his reasoning is that it's his money and his choice, and that he's only willing to give up to a quarter of his earnings. While I will personally continue to fund the guild at my usual rate, I have to agree that for someone within Tristan's predicament, it is quite unreasonable."

"But… Team Retribution is tied to this guild! And as team leader, you have the ability to put your foot down on this one!"

"True, I may have the ability," Liam admitted, "but do I have the right to do such a thing? I lead the team, not its individuals' personal decisions. I can't say I like Tristan's decision… hell, I don't like the tax myself. But I'm willing to go through with it because I know that the money's going towards good causes. If Tristan isn't for it, then I'm not making him abide by a rule that's nothing more than a pushy recommendation." Liam immediately realized how much harsher his tone was coming across, and Chatot looked rather irked at his statement.

"Pushy?! You signed up for this!" _Yep, definitely pissed him off._

"Selina and I signed up for this. Tristan and the others did not. Keep in mind that Team Retribution could easily separate all ties from this guild and go private. We wouldn't be losing business at all, _and_ we'd get to keep nearly everything that we earn. So yeah, I _would_ say that this stupid ninety percent thing _is_ pushy, especially considering all the other more profitable possibilities we could engage in. If Tristan doesn't want to pay it, then he shouldn't have to."

"Unbelievable," he said through a gritted beak. "To think that we could lose such a significant portion of our funding… Oh, the Guildmaster might just…"

"Chatot, you know that Selina and I will always fund the guild. Only Tristan has thrown out such an idea, so most the others are most likely going to stick with it. And if by any chance you all are short on funding, you know you can come to us. We have always been here for you all."

"Alright," he relented, "Tristan… will now be asked to pay twenty-five percent of the money earned from jobs." Though the bird sounded bitter about the whole manner, there really wasn't much he could do about it.

Once he had finished his business with the guild, Liam took the eastern road from the intersection - towards the new settlements. He would notify Tristan of the change and give him his share of the job. Surely the luxray would be happy to hear that he would no longer be handing over the vast majority of his earnings. Although, truth be told, Liam didn't know why exactly Tristan had all of a sudden stated his dislike of the guild's policy.

His destination came into view, and he soon found himself standing on the doorstep of a quaint, clay-brick house. A wide rug sat before the door, with two blackened streak drawn straight down the middle. He knocked, then entered upon receiving the acknowledgment. "Hey, got good news for ya."

"Really? So birdbrain decided to stop being a prick?"

"Eh, something like that. You're down to a quarter now." He set Tristan's share of the previous mission onto the low-lying table in the middle of the room.

"Nice. 'Bout time I actually got to keep something. With both food and the house, it was hard to get everything squared away."

"Tristan… we didn't know that you were struggling to make ends meet. Why didn't you say something?"

"And take that kind of blow to my pride? Nah, I'll pass. Rather be able to live by my own earnings than off of charity."

"So then that's why you wanted out of the guild's policy for the most part…"

"Yep. Shit, you have no idea how much of a relief this is."

"Yeah, I bet. But still, I feel kinda bad that you went all this time like that."

"Don't worry about that one bit. It's all done with now."

 **. . . . .**

Almost there. Though sleep called the lucario's name, there was one other thing that he needed to do - something that had been stuck on his mind ever since it had occurred. The commotion inside of the café was rowdy as always; the clattering of plates and drinks infused with talks of adventure and of gossip. And perhaps the voice of an individual or two that had had a bit too much to drink.

Liam headed straight for Spinda's station, though he had no intentions of trying out his latest mix. "Liam," the disorienting pokémon said. "How's it going?"

"I've been well my friend. And you?"

"Can't complain - business is thriving. What can I get for you today?"

"Information."

"Oh? Not here for a drink?"

"Not today bud. No, I need to hear the whereabouts of someone," Liam stated. "And since you know just about everything going on in this town, I figured you'd be the best person to come to."

"Alright. So who are you looking for?"

"Weavile from Team AWD."

"Oh, the troublemaker, eh? Why would you want to get mixed up with that crowd, huh? Ain't like you. And besides, didn't you bring them in once?"

"Yeah, that's true. But this is aside from that, and it's really important that she hears something." Spinda nodded, then thought it over for a second.

"If I recall correctly, Team AWD left a few days ago after preparing for an exploration. Not sure where to, though." Liam swore under his breath - he had just missed her, then. She had probably been buying supplies for an exploration that day. And now there was no telling when she would be back. _Just great_.

"Wait… isn't she breaking her parole?" Liam asked.

"I mean, technically… but that's an issue for the police. For a bunch of petty thieves, I doubt they'll care enough to lock her up."

After thanking Spinda for the help, Liam walked back to his and Selina's residency. Throughout the walk through town, the scene of Weavile chained up and beaten flashed through his mind. All of it disturbed him far more than anything he had encountered over the years. The knowledge of what had gone on, of what her captors had done to her… her captors… He stopped in his tracks. _Oh Arceus,_ he thought, _I knew those guys seemed familiar._ The realization that he had now personally seen the people involved in the vision struck him as terrifying. But then again… they were going to be behind bars for a long time. It was impossible to know when the event would occur, but it certainly wouldn't if those three were locked up for years to come. Surely there was still cause for concern, but given the criminals' predicaments, the advantage was not on their side. And if they tried anything… he would know where to find him. And he certainly wouldn't hesitate this time.

But one thing still bothered him. The blaziken in the vision had mentioned something about a sentence being carried out. Whatever that meant couldn't have been good, and it could suggest a number of things. It certainly didn't seem as though the thieves were working for the police; that much was certain in the way they both spoke to and treated Weavile. With all things considered, maybe he would've been doing everyone a service had he thrown an iron thorn or two into their chests. He could take comfort, though, in knowing one thing: that if a threat were to arise from the likes of those guys, it wouldn't be for quite some time.

 _Almost there,_ he thought as he walked towards Sharpedo Bay's outlook. But as he neared their home, he found Selina to be sitting before the entrance, clearly waiting for his return. Her kind, gentle smile was always a welcome sight to the former human - always something he looked forward to. She padded over to her tired partner and gently nuzzled his side.

"Get everything taken care of?" she asked.

"Yeah, for the most part. Went looking for Weavile while I was out. Turns out she and her team have gone off who knows where."

"Of course she has," Selina sighed. "Seems she can't follow a rule to save her life…"

"Nope, not her."

"Well I'm sure she'll be back before long. She always swings around here."

"Hopefully. But it also helps that Tristan and I took out the guys in my vision."

"Wait, what?"

"Those guys we fought last night - the nidoking and the blaziken, at least - they were the ones in the vision."

"Well now that they're locked away, she shouldn't have anything to worry about, should she?" Liam shook his head.

"I guess not, but you know that the Dimensional Scream has never been wrong before…"

"Eh, true…" she admitted. "So what now?"

"Nothing I _can_ do, other than wait for her to come back. If some day those thugs ever get released, I'll just make sure they know just who the hell they're dealing with." Selina smiled up at him, releasing one of her adorable giggles.

"Mmm, I do love it when you talk tough," she teased. Liam rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but grin. Her sense of happiness was always contagious. "Say, what do you have planned for today?"

"Sleep," he stated simply. "Damn, Tristan and I've been up for almost a day and a half without stopping. What about you?"

"Oh. I was thinking about heading down to the beach. All the krabby should be out before long. It's been quite awhile since we've gone down there, too." _Huh, she's right. It has been awhile…_

"That sounds nice," Liam said.

"Will you be joining me?" she asked.

"You know it."

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The waves gently rolled to the very brink of their feet before receding back into the orange sea. This had always been her favorite place to come whenever she wanted to think, or just to relax. It was always a nice retreat from all the work they did, and served to bring back one of her most cherished memories - that day three years ago when she had found an unconscious riolu washed up on the shore. Looking over to the side, she could recall the exact spot; right beside those two lone stones among the sand.

Of course, this beach had also been her dreaded escape during the worst period of her life. Those months when Liam had been gone - truly erased from history - had been the most sorrow-filled, painful memories she had. All those days of coming here and trying to grasp at memories with her friend, just to come to the bitter realization each time that he was no longer there. All those days of crying, of starving herself, and of tossing and turning. Even thinking about those times made her want to cry. But then Dialga had given her the best gift of all. The gift of the future.

Thousands upon thousands of large bubbles were carried out to see as the krabby did their evening ritual. Now this beach was no longer the embodiment of her depressed loneliness; now it had everything it needed to be perfect once again. The lucario right beside her. And speaking of that lucario…

Liam had decided to lay back, noticeably struggling to keep his eyes open. _Aww, he's trying not to fall asleep._ Trying without much success it seemed. She watched as his eyes would slowly come to a close, only to spring open in an effort to keep himself from succumbing to exhaustion. All because he wanted to come out here with her. She decided to join him in laying down in the soft sand, ever-so-slightly touching their sides together. He looked at her questioningly, but she just smiled in response.

"Go ahead," she said quietly. "I know you're tired." He certainly wasn't in the mood for debate, so he simply nodded and began to close his eyes. His breathing became slow and steady, and she could tell that it hadn't taken long for him to give in. How wonderful it was to be able to look at him once again like this. No longer did she have to mourn while her friend became nothing but tainted memories. She gently nuzzled his shoulder; he was out cold, no chance he'd wake up. And besides, it wasn't like they hadn't had their little friendly gestures towards each other before. No, these had become much more common ever since he returned from the plane of non-existence; she knew fully well how important he was to her once he had no longer been in the picture.

 _What in Arceus's name am I doing though?_ Giving small hugs over the years had been one thing, with maybe a few being more intimate, but rubbing him like this? It was much more… _sensual_. She pulled away. _What's gotten into me?_ she wondered. That had been strange - no doubt about it, and with her irritation towards Rachel's action earlier… she didn't quite know what to make out of all of this. _Well… I don't think that bothering myself about it is going to help anything_ … Instead, the umbreon kept her gaze towards the beauteous night sky, her mind consumed with thoughts of the adventures that were in store for the two of them.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **If you enjoyed reading, please consider leaving a review. Receiving feedback about the story is alway useful.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

 **Hey everyone, here's the next installment of the story. Hope you all enjoy. If you do, please consider leaving a review to offer your thoughts. It really helps the story out a lot to both to know what the readers are thinking and to gain the story more publicity.**

 **Thanks as always to LunarKnightArchangel for proof reading the chapter prior to publication.**

 **I still don't own Pokémon...**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **— — — — —**

 **Liam**

 **— — — — —**

The lucario began to wake, the gentle sounds of the rolling waves being the first thing to register to him. _What? Where am I?_ His eyes slowly opened only to be greeted by the bright morning sky. _That's right,_ he thought. He had drifted off the night before on the beach. _Selina must not have woken me up_ … Judging from the sun's position, he had seriously overslept. It was time to get up for the day. He was about to rise when he noticed something pressing down on him. When he looked down, his eyes went wide in shock.

Selina's head was positioned on his collarbone, her muzzle slightly contacting his neck. Had he still been a human, surely his cheeks would be red. The situation had flustered him, to say the very least. _W-what should I do?_ he thought, trying not to panic. She had him pinned down, and it would be incredibly difficult to maneuver his way out of this. _But I can't just stay here like this!_ And yet, could he bring himself to wake her? With that adorable smile she had, and the soft rise and fall of her chest. _Gah… how the hell did this happen anyways?_ She probably had rolled over in her sleep.

Liam kept his peripheral gaze on her - just as content as could be, and not showing any signs of waking. _Arceus… why me?_ He couldn't even imagine what kind of embarrassment would result if she were to wake up to _this._ Maybe if he moved slowly enough, he could slide from underneath her.

He began the gradual process of moving from under her, stopping every time she shifted so as not to get caught. At one point, she yawned, causing him to tense up. The soft sound that emanated from her brought a warm smile to his face, despite the situation. _Alright, I need to be focusing on getting out of this…_ He resumed where he had left off, and had nearly completed his maneuver when she started to stir. _Shit shit shit…_ He closed his eyes, trying to play it off in case she woke up. He cracked his right eye open ever-so-slightly, seeing her ears perk up.

Selina gradually opened her eyes - impossible for her to ignore the fact that she was using her companion as a pillow. Liam held his breath as she looked around, apparently confused by their presence on the beach. All she did was casually close her eyes again and lay back down in her previous position. _What the hell?!_ Liam was at a complete loss for words; Selina hadn't seemed to have cared one bit, nor had she done anything to put an end to the awkward situation - as though it wasn't awkward in the first place. No, if anything, she was now closer than before.

Liam was at odds with it all, confused beyond words. Why had she seemed so indifferent towards the situation? Eventually deciding that he couldn't take this any longer, Liam gently tapped her shoulder with his one free arm. She stirred slightly, but showed no signs of getting up, causing him to repeat the action with slightly more force.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled.

"You're uhh… you're on top of me…" She slightly shrugged.

"What?" she yawned. "You're comfy."

"…I can see that… But I think it's time we got up…"

"Oh alright," she said. The umbreon slowly got to her feet and stretched out while he sat up and brushed trace amounts of sand out of his fur. He was still slightly weirded out by the circumstances surrounding how they had slept, but Selina didn't seem to be giving it any mind at all. Maybe he shouldn't either. _No_ , he thought, _what the hell am I thinking? We aren't… like that… so that shouldn't have happened!_ But still, there was nothing to be done about any of it now.

Once they had returned to their home and prepared themselves for the day, the two of them decided to check the guild for any jobs. All they saw, however, was an empty board under the outlaw section, and the jobs that were posted on the other side weren't exactly their caliber. "I guess we'll be forced to take today off," Selina said.

"Bummer," Liam replied. "What do you say we do?"

"Well… while we're here, we might as well complete the process for admitting Rachel into the team." That's right - he had completely forgotten about their new companion. She had disbanded her own team to join them; it would only be fair to admit her in a timely manner. Liam and Selina made their way to Chimecho's corner, where they could finalize Rachel's acceptance into the team.

The female lucario would certainly be a great addition to Retribution, and Liam relished the fact that he now had the ability to associate with another member of his own species. There were probably moves and attacks that she knew that were unknown to him - maybe this could be a great learning opportunity as well.

"Hi you two," the wind chime pokémon said, "I'm guessing you're here for Rachel's acceptance into the team?"

"Mhm," Selina responded.

"Perfect. She's right downstairs, so that'll make this a lot easier." She quickly descended into the guild's lowest level, then returned with the lucario of interest.

"Hey," Rachel said with a happy look on her face.

"Nice to see you again," said Liam. "We were just finishing everything up. Once you take our badge, your with us." The male lucario fumbled through his bag for the item of interest - one of the last spare badges that had come with their explorer kit. Due to years of almost being neglected, he found the small items in the corner of the bag. Still as shiny as the day they had gotten it. With Chimecho there to serve as a witness to the admission, Liam held the out badge for her. "Not gonna lie - the jobs we take can be pretty rough. If you're unlucky, you might even have to take a life."

"Wouldn't be the first time or the last."

"Well alright then."

"Are you willing to stand up for those who can't defend themselves - even at your own risk?" Selina asked.

"I am."

"Will you be sure to reflect your moral principles in all that you do? To act in a way that would be pleasing to Arceus?"

"I will."

"Then both your heart and abilities are in the right place," the umbreon said. "Welcome to the team!"

 **— — — — —**

 **General**

 **— — — — —**

Their job at the guild finished, and lacking any sort of mission for the day, Liam and Selina decided to visit Spinda's Cafe. "I think we made the right choice," Liam said to Selina as they walked towards the bar. "Calling her qualified is kinda an understatement."

"Mhm. How do you think the others will like her?" the umbreon asked. "I mean, none of them even know about Rachel so far…"

"Who's Rachel?" a high-pitched voice to the left asked. They smiled, immediately recognizing who it was.

"Glad to see the two of you back. How'd your mission go?"

"All went well. The gabite that we rescued wishes to stay here in Treasure Town, and nobody was hurt," Eleanor said. Liam and Selina joined the two of them at the table to discuss their recent decision with the two legendaries.

"So we accepted a new member into Retribution," Selina started. "Actually just got back from finalizing everything at the guild."

"Rachel just moved into town recently. She's a bounty hunter that came all the way over here just to try and join us. Former lone wolf that achieved the first master ranking without a teammate," Liam stated.

"Oh my," Flora said. "That _is_ impressive. What species?"

"She's a lucario. Only female one I've seen since… well, _ever_."

"Ohhh. That should be interesting," the shaymin teased. "What's she like."

"Very friendly. Wasn't expecting that from a bounty hunter," Selina said. Liam grinned at the umbreon.

"Really? And what is it that we do mostly?"

"…Good point…"

"So when will we meet this Rachel?" Eleanor asked. "I'd like to get to know her better."

"So would Liam," Flora whispered to her fellow legendary, who simply rolled her eyes.

"What was that?" Selina asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

"Well, no doubt you'll see her around. She had to go take care of some stuff, so she couldn't meet us here. But she will be coming to missions with us. If you two would like, you could ask her to tag along with the two of you in some of your jobs." Due to Team Retribution's size, they usually split up into two or three groups, each taking missions of their own. Since Eleanor and Flora weren't very combative in nature, they usually took jobs that wouldn't require the use of physical force. It definitely wouldn't hurt to tag them along with someone who was much more willing to engage in combat.

"That sounds like a nice idea. Definitely would give us a lot of time to chat," Eleanor said.

"Sounds like the two of you made a great decision," Flora said. "Tell me, are you looking towards accepting any more members, or do you think this'll be it?" Truth be told, neither of them had taken this into consideration. Usually they accepted those who were suitable on a fairly uncommon basis; only when someone truly stood out. As such, neither of them really had thought about how many other pokémon they would accept.

"I'm not exactly sure," Liam replied. "Guess we'll just worry about that kinda stuff when it becomes a concern." Spinda approached their table carrying a small platter with four drinks and began to disperse them among the four.

"Wait, we haven't ordered anything," Liam said, referring to him and Selina.

"No worries. It's on the house."

"Why thank you," Selina said with a smile. Spinda had brought both of them their usuals, with Selina's having a straw. Throughout their time there, the four of them mostly conversed about how their recent missions had gone. Eleanor and Flora were both understanding towards Liam's previous situation, though surprised nonetheless.

 **— — — — —**

 **Liam**

 **— — — — —**

Once they had exited the cafe, Eleanor brought Liam over to the side to speak with him in private. There was no need to alert those who were uninvolved and unaware. "How is the situation with Weavile?" she asked.

"She… broke her parole. Her and her team have high-tailed it outta here, and there's no telling when we'll see 'em next."

"Oh dear," she murmured. "That's not good."

"Trust me, it gets better. Those guys I saw in the vision? They were some of the criminals Tristan and I took down on our mission." The cresselia stayed silent, trying to figure out what to make of this. As though Liam hadn't actively been trying.

"If that's the case, I fear that your premonition may be approaching us."

"W-what? It couldn't happen any time soon… Those two are locked up for Arceus knows how long. They could even rot in jail!" Eleanor, however, didn't seem to be convinced by his statement.

"While that very well may be the case, and while you have such a unique ability, you cannot predict the future. No one knows what may happen…"

"…Well damn… thanks for making me feel more at ease with the whole thing…"

"Liam… this may be something we have to face in the future. If people are in danger, we cannot afford to hide from the truth, no matter how inconvenient." Of course, she had a point, though he didn't want to admit it.

"So then what do we do?" he asked.

"All we can do is be cautious and prepare ourselves for whatever may lie in store." But how? They barely knew the circumstances of what they were potentially up against.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Selina asked as she approached the two of them. "What's going on?"

"We were just discussing Liam's vision and what course of action we must take."

"Oh… and?"

"I feel that we should alert the other team members as soon as possible. It is not right to keep them oblivious to the situation when it may have disastrous consequences."

"You're right," he admitted. "When should I break the news to them?"

"The sooner the better. Everyone should be in Treasure Town tonight, correct?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then why not schedule a meeting tonight? We need to discuss the implications of all this together. You two may be the leaders, but we are still a team. It would only be fair to act like it." Though Eleanor's words were not harsh in tone, Liam couldn't deny the fact that the cresselia's statement sort of stung. But she was right - he didn't have to do this alone.

"Alright then. How about we get everyone to meet at the beach tonight?"

"What about Marvin?" Selina asked. "I don't think that he's… you know... old enough for all of this…"

"Agreed entirely," the cresselia replied. "I would encourage the two of you to ensure that he is in bed before the meeting begins. As such, I think we should schedule it late."

"Good idea. Yeah, we'll ask Lapras to make sure he's in bed by then," the umbreon added.

"For now, could you and Flora fly around and look for Rachel?" Liam asked. "Selina and I can go tell Tristan."

"We will do just that."

"I swear," Flora said, "what is taking you all so long?" The impatient shaymin was more than ready for them to leave.

"I shall inform you during our flight." Eleanor placed her hand on Liam's shoulder comfortingly. "Know that we are your family, and we will always have your back. You need not handle matters like this on your own." The lucario appreciated her comforting words, and knew that what she was saying was true.

"We'll see you two tonight," Selina said. Both Eleanor and Flora took to the skies, leaving the two canines to themselves. "Well, I guess we better go tell Tristan now…"

"Yeah…" Selina drew closer to his side.

"Hey… is something the matter?" she asked softly.

"N-no… I just don't feel so—." He stopped mid-sentence as he realized once again what was happening.

"Liam! Liam!" Her words faded out.

It was far too dark to be able to see much, and the sound of the gently rolling waves during the high tide. The air had a faint taste of salt to it. Moonlight shone into the opening of the cave, where two familiar shadowy figures spoke quietly.

"Yes," Eleanor said as she looked at a large, soaked bag, "this'll definitely help us out quite a bit. Thank you for obtaining the supplies from the water continent."

"My pleasure. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get here sooner. It's been difficult to avoid all his patrols," Lapras replied.

"I know. I've had to be cautious in the skies as well." The elegant, composed legendary was for the first time that Liam could remember showing signs of uncertainty and fear. "So then I take it there's no chance that you could take any with you?" Lapras shook his head.

"We'll be caught if they ride on my shell. And I can't hold living people underwater like I can a bag."

"Err… that's true," she admitted. "Any telling when we may be in the clear?"

"No. No telling at all. But I wouldn't expect any 'shipments' for at least another week or two."

"But we're running out of time," she sighed. "I don't know how much longer we can keep them hidden…"

"While that may be true, you must hold out, at least for a little longer. I cannot knowingly expose them to death."

"Alright. I'll see we can do in the meantime." She stayed silent for a moment, trying to keep herself looking professional, but noticeably failing.

"Hey… I know we've all been through a lot," Lapras said quietly. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared… but we can't give up. A lot of people are counting on us. Us and the others are their last hope."

"Y-yeah," she said through teary eyes.

"We will make it through this together. We always have. Now tell them that I'll make another supply run while everything calms down in the northwestern seas, and that they only need to hold out for another week, maybe week and a half. After that, I'm sure the waters will be fine for transport."

"They have to be," she sobbed. "We w-won't be able to do this much longer." The lapras gently raised one of his large flippers and placed it on her side.

"Hey now - we're still here. We'll get our shot at him one day… then we'll end all of this misery."

"I just wish… that he had never been born," Eleanor said. "All this pain he's caused… all this suffering…" The first signs of sunlight were making themselves apparent, and the sky gradually began to shift to a dark orange.

"I must head off now if I wish to avoid the morning patrols."

"…I understand. Take care, my friend. May Arceus protect your path."

"And yours as well. Give the others my regards. Until next time." With that, Lapras left the way he came, leaving the cresselia to herself. Eleanor remained still for a moment as she watched the sea-faring pokémon recede into the distance. Eventually she looked down to the large pack he had delivered, and she went about unbuckling it. A loud _click_ sounded, then she gently rolled the cloth open. The inside of the fabric had been lightly covered in some sort of silvery tarp for protecting whatever the was inside from water. As she continued to unroll, though, there was no mistaking the contents of the bag. Forged weapons.

"L-Liam! Are you okay?!" Selina asked frantically as he opened his eyes. The umbreon was clearly scared, merely inches away from his face. "You fell a-and hit your head really hard!" He sat up and touched the back of his head with his forepaw. Blood, though nothing too serious.

"I'm fine…"

"Thank Arceus," she said, nuzzling him comfortingly. "You had me really worried there…" He placed his hand on her shoulder gratefully, then managed to get back onto his feet.

"This… this isn't looking good…"

 **— — — — —**

 **Selina**

 **— — — — —**

Most of the members of Team Retribution sat around the fire they had constructed on the beach as they waited for Tristan to show up. _What is taking that luxray so long?_ Selina thought. _This is serious!_ She nervously tapped her paws as the others made small talk. Rachel, of course, was unaware as to why they were there, as well as the ability that Liam possessed.

Selina couldn't help but constantly shoot sideways glares towards the female lucario. She was both friendly and sociable - something that they wouldn't have really expected from a former lone wolf. Selina didn't mean to stare - that was rude, wasn't it? But she just couldn't help it. It wasn't anything that she had against Rachel, it was just… _It isn't fair_. Why were bipedals so much more attractive than quadrupeds?

"Sorry to keep y'all waiting," Tristan said. The other five quieted down as he took the spot next to Liam.

"If I may ask, is this a team debriefing?" Rachel asked. Liam crossed his legs, getting comfortable for the long discussion that would surely occur.

"While we do have meetings about every month to discuss total earnings and the like, this is not one of those cases. This is something far more concerning."

"Liam, I think it would be best to inform our new friend about your ability," Eleanor said. Rachel looked confused after hearing this.

"Yeah, otherwise none of this is gonna make any sense." Liam pondered what would be the best way to tell her before siding to just be straight up with it all. "I understand that this is gonna sound… well… _crazy_ … but know that I will never be dishonest with you."

"A-alright…"

"Do you remember how chaotic things were two and a half years ago?" She nodded.

"Yeah. Certain areas were getting frozen in time, and if my memory serves correct, Dialga nearly lost all control." She paused, then looked up at him. "Wait a second… there were a lot of rumors that Team Retribution was really involved in the situation."

"Mhm, that's true," Selina said. "Eleanor here too - she helped us stop Darkrai when he tried a second time to plunge the world into darkness."

"Wow… this team is even more amazing than I had thought… But then again, that only makes sense, seeing that Retribution has three legendaries!"

"Does it not strike you as odd," Selina replied, "that we were in the right places at the right times to clean up Darkrai's mess not once, but _twice_?" Rachel didn't initially reply, but was deep in thought.

"…Actually… now that you mention it, that _does_ seem a bit convenient."

"That's because we had some help from Liam here." She looked towards her first partner and nodded.

"My origin is kinda a mess to say the least," Liam mumbled. "Truth be told, I don't really know. Can hardly remember a thing before the time when Selina found me - right over there," he said, pointing to the two rocks that were out of place. Rachel listened intently as he recalled the little that he did know about his pre-Retribution self. "Again, I won't blame you if you doubt this all initially, but bear with me for a moment."

"I trust you, Liam, and I will believe what you have to say."

"Thank you," he replied. "Where to start… Well, I actually didn't come from this world. Or at least, this time period."

"W-what?! What do you mean?"

"I was actually born some time in the future. Whenever that was… I'm not sure. From what I could gather the one time we went there, it seemed as though it was centuries from now - long after everyone here would be gone. I had a partner there, and a very close friend at that. We decided to try and go back to when it when it all went wrong. A friend of ours - a small pokémon that went by the name of Celebi - was the one who could send us back in time. But Darkrai pursued us and attacked. An accident occurred while we traveled through time, and as a result, I was turned into a pokémon and lost my memory."

"I'm sorry to hear th—." She stopped abruptly. "W-wait just a second… You said you were turned into a pokémon…"

"That's correct."

"What were you?!" Liam sighed, knowing there was likely no way that she would be able to visualize his past form. But then again… neither was he.

"I… I was actually a human…"

"What?! But I thought… I thought those were only in legends…"

"No," Eleanor said, "humans are very real indeed. They aren't very common in our world. I have never seen one personally… but they do exist."

"That's… that's incredible! What did you look like?"

"I don't know - I lost all my memories, remember? All I know is that I was apparently taller than what I am now. _Much_ taller. But that's the extent of what I can tell you. But right now, none of this is relevant to why we're here today. The important thing regarding my messed up origins is my ability: the Dimensional Scream."

"The what now?"

"Dimensional Scream. Sometimes when I touch someone or something, I get a vision that originates from either the past or the future."

"Liam's ability helped us time and time again when we were up against Darkrai. He could predict events before they would happen."

"It is truly a remarkable ability," Eleanor added, "though we know so little about it."

"And that leads us to the topic we wish to—."

"Hiya!" Marvin said from behind him before squeezing himself between the lucario and Selina. Lapras was quickly swimming to the shore after the manaphy.

"Honey, I told you that you needed to be in bed," Selina said gently.

"Aww, come on mom… You and dad and the others get to do the fun stuff… Why can't I?"

"Kid," Tristan said in irritation, "they aren't your—." He was cut off by a cold glare from both Liam and Selina. _Why would he even think about saying something like that?_

"Because," Selina continued, "it's your bedtime, and this… this is an adult conversation…"

"I'm sorry he slipped away," Lapras said as he caught up. "He was just… way too fast…"

"That's alright," Liam replied.

"Will you go back to bed if I come with you?" Selina asked softly.

"Well… okay…" The umbreon walked over to Lapras, followed by Marvin. Before he went back to the two of them, though, he gave Liam a quick hug.

"Goodnight buddy," Liam said.

"G'night dad," Marvin replied. Selina always had found it adorable how the little manaphy had taken to them, even going so far as to refer to them as his parents. _Ha, Liam and I as parents._ The very thought made her smile, but then she realized what else such a thing would imply. And he'd explicitly stated it, too - in front of all of the others. She looked away in embarrassment.

It had always been something that they kept relatively quiet about - Marvin being like a child to the two of them. Truth be told, it was kinda hard to deny him that; after all, they had been the ones to hatch him and raise him early on. The day that they had to send him off had been brutally difficult for the both of them. It had felt like someone had ripped a part of the umbreon's very soul out, and it was one of the only times she could remember seeing Liam cry. And words could not even begin to describe the joy that she felt when Marvin returned to them. No, it was hard to deny him that bond. But then again, it wasn't _that_ bond that was weighing heavily on her mind.

She and Marvin gently stepped onto Lapras's shell. "Fill me in on everything later, okay Liam?"

"Sure thing," he replied. Selina rode on Lapras all the way back to the small hut they had built for Marvin, all while the manaphy lazily drifted back. Throughout the ride there, though, her mind was occupied with thoughts of her suitability to be a parent. Maybe Marvin wasn't _exactly_ her child… but there was more to being family than bloodline. And true, Walrein had taken charge of raising the manaphy in an environment most suitable for him, but that still hadn't stopped little Marvin from calling Selina and Liam his parents. _Ha… Liam and I as parents…_

She stepped off as Lapras slowed to a stop against the shoreline north of Sharpedo Bluff. "This might take a bit," Selina whispered to Lapras. "You go back to the beach. You'll wanna hear what Liam has to say."

"But you—."

"It's a short walk," she softly said. "Go on - I'll be fine." The lapras thought it over for a moment, but eventually nodded.

"Alright, if you say so." He turned around and began to swim away. "Goodnight," he called out as he left the two of them to themselves.

"Goodnight." A slight weight pressed down on the umbreon's back, and she began to make her way into his house. "You are quite a handful, you know that?" she affectionately said.

"Mhm," he replied. She walked to the side of his small bed, where he hopped off. Selina went about tucking the small pokémon in, then gave him an tender nuzzle to his cheek.

"Love you mom," he said with a yawn.

"Love you too sweetie," Selina murmured. Marvin must've caught on to the odd tone in her voice, as he sat up with a curious look on his face.

"Is… something wrong?" he asked. _Should I… tell him?_

"No honey… not really. I've just been thinking… you know that Liam and I…" She couldn't bring herself to say it - not to him. Such a sweet, innocent kid, and to tell him something like that? No, she couldn't do it.

"Mom… I know…"

"Y-you do?"

"You're an umbreon… and dad's a lucario. I don't know what that would make… but it wouldn't be me…"

"…I want you to know," she said with tears in her eyes, "that both Liam and I care for you very much." He reached up and hugged her.

"I know that," he said. "You two will always be my parents." She couldn't help but smile upon hearing that. For the next few minutes, she hummed softly as the manaphy curled up, thinking of how fortunate she was to have come across such a nice boy. As a drawn out yawn left him, she began to slowly step towards the door.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered.

"Mhm," he replied. As she neared the entrance, though, he spoke up once again. "M-mom," he said sleepily.

"Yes honey?"

"Wouldn't it be an eevee?"

"Hmm?"

"If you and dad got me a brother, wouldn't he be an eevee?"

"I…I…" She had no idea how to respond to that.

"I mean… I _guess_ it could be a sister…"

"Th-that's enough of that talk," Selina stammered. She hurried out of there, undoubtedly more embarrassed than she had ever been in her life as she paced quickly along the sand. Of all the things he could have said… She had never felt the need to hide from the likes of a child until now. Her and Liam… they simply weren't like that, right? But there was no hiding from the thoughts that were starting to manifest themselves within her.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And that sums up the fourth chapter. Let me know what you think and where you think things will be headed from here.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys. Here's the fifth installment of the story, and by far the most eventful. Hope you all enjoy reading, and if you do, please consider giving some feedback on the story.**

 **I don't own pokémon, etc etc.**

 **Thanks to LunarKnightArchangel for proofreading before publication!**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

"But what could it all mean?" the luxray asked. "We got Weavile being imprisoned in one vision, and Eleanor and Lapras talking about some sort of smuggling operation in another. Not seeing how these two things are connected."

"There's far more going on than we are aware of," Eleanor stated. "Lapras, do you know of any locations that match the one described by Liam's second vision?"

"I'm not quite sure… there could be several," the large water-type replied. "But my best guess would be Brine Cave. It's the only one around here that has openings along it, and would provide for the best route towards the water continent. That's where I met Liam and Selina first."

"One thing I don't understand is how our knowledge of these events would affect whether or not they would happen," Rachel said.

"That's… a really good point," Liam concluded. "There's no way these events would happen the same way. Not since we know about them. But… the Dimensional Scream has never been wrong."

"Agreed. Our knowledge of the events would inevitably change how they play out," Eleanor said. "But I think that there may be a way to shut all of this down before it even has the chance to occur."

"Really?" Tristan asked. "How?"

"I mean think about it - we now know a fair bit of information of a situation that has yet to develop. If we can find the cause of all this trouble and put an end to it, then there's no way these events _could_ occur." _That's a really good point!_ the luxray thought.

"So how would we do this?" he asked. "I mean, by the looks of things, the only way we could accomplish that is by killing those outlaws that we fought with. That damn blaziken and nidoking."

"While that may be true… I don't think that's an option," Liam replied. "They're gonna be behind bars for a long time to say the least. Think that blaziken was also convicted of murder. And what would we do? Break into a prison and commit crimes of our own? Doesn't seem very fitting for a team that focuses on bringing outlaws to justice." _Dammit… he's right…_

"Then what could we do?" Tristan asked.

"I believe we aren't thinking strategically," Eleanor said. "Tell me, have any of you realized anything that these two visions have in common?" They all reflected on what they had learned for a moment. _What do they have in common?_ After all, one vision involved what seemed to be a warped execution, whereas the other was some kind of smuggling operation. Liam was steadily looking down, then quickly looked up, and it was clear that he'd figured something out.

"These visions - both have something to do with the person in power!" _What?_ The cresselia nodded.

"I'm… not sure I follow," Flora said.

"Think about it for a second - in the first one, that blaziken and nidoking were taking orders. They were carrying out a _sentence_. And the second time, Lapras and Eleanor were talking about patrols and the like. Both of those would be directly tied to whoever's in charge."

"But… wouldn't that make us lawbreakers?" Lapras said. "I don't think I'd be going out on a limb by saying that nobody here has the intentions of committing a crime, much less one that warrants being hunted down by a bunch of patrols…"

"I trust that none of us would wrongfully do something to get in trouble," Eleanor said, "but look at it like this - would you count on someone that's willing to punish a pickpocket with death as morally justified? Weavile has been behaving herself for the most part… I can't imagine what kind of person would subject her to the torment that she went through in that vision."

"You're implying that she'll continue to behave herself," Rachel said.

"I believe that she will, yes. But even if she resorts back to thievery, I think that allowing one's prison guards to rape her would hardly be qualities of a just, moral person." _True that._ "And I know that Lapras and I - and whoever the others in reference were - would be in the right for wanting to transport those people. I don't know who we were hiding or transporting… but I refuse to believe for one second that we were in the wrong for what we did."

"No," Tristan agreed, "we couldn't have been. In that vision, you mentioned something about keeping others safe. That's what we're about; anyone that tries to brand us as outlaws must be someone we need to keep out of power." The others nodded in agreement.

"But that leads us to something else. What position are we talking about?" Liam's statement introduced a whole new set of questions. _It can't be a position over Treasure Town… could it?_ The only "leader" of Treasure Town was Elder Torkoal, who offered advice to everyone in the town. Him and Wigglytuff, technically, who directly took advice from Torkoal. The Guild contributed so much to the town that it alone could be seen as a governing body.

"I don't know," Flora said. "It couldn't be anyone around here… or over at Shaymin Village. They only select shaymins, and the people back home would never even consider doing the stuff that we're talking about. And even if they wanted to, it's not like they'd have the power to…" The shaymin clearly dismissed any possibility that her home town could be responsible for the future misery, and with good cause - her points were valid.

"What about any other towns or cities?" Liam asked. "Does anyone else have the ability to send patrols out over the continent?"

"Several cities near here could pose a threat if they decided to become militaristic… but as things stand, I doubt any single area would have enough force to send patrols out over the continent," Eleanor answered.

"But who said anything about the entire continent?" Rachel said. "The vision only implied that pokémon were guarding _this_ area." Rachel looked over at Liam. "Could I borrow one of those?" she asked, pointing to the iron spikes adorning his sash. After he'd tossed her one, she began to draw in the dirt. _Arceus, she's pretty fucking smart…_ The female lucario had drawn out a pretty spot-on map of this half of the continent, much to everyone's amazement.

"Ignoring Treasure Town, the nearest major place of residence would be Capim Town. From my understanding, their population is roughly the same as ours. Being that they're more than a few leagues away and that they don't have nearly the same economic resources as Treasure Town, I wouldn't consider them to be a threat. Meanwhile, Desert Village is further away, and the people over there are… well… _inhospitable_ to say the least, but they're quite a ways away and like to keep to themselves anyways, so I think that kinda takes them off the table. Zero Isle lacks any organized civilization, and despite all that went down on that island years ago, the people at Obsidian City are very decent folks. That and sea travel doesn't really suit a bunch of fire types very well… If this vision is to come true, I would expect it to come from either one of the nearby small settlements, a collusion of such settlements… or locally." Everyone looked at her in complete shock - where had _that_ come from?

"What… what _was_ that?" Tristan asked.

"What?"

"You had all that shit memorized?"

"Well yeah… I've been around a good bit," she replied, as though it was no big deal. Both he and Liam had never even heard of Desert Village, and they'd been fairly close to where she'd marked it previously.

"O-okay then…" Liam said. "Not gonna lie, that was pretty impressive… Anyways, I think we should keep an eye out on the nearest ten or so. We need to learn how they run things, who's in charge, what they're like - all of it."

"We will take care of that," Eleanor said, referring to her and Flora. "We can travel much faster than the rest of you."

"Point taken. On a side note, I think it would be best to have these meetings weekly - especially if I keep getting premonitions at this rate."

"I think that would be wise," Eleanor said. "For now, I implore everyone here to be prepared for anything."

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The sound of the trapdoor opening barely registered to the umbreon's senses. Currently she was curled up in her bed, under the covers and deep in thought. "Selina?" Liam called out. He could likely sense her presence, but he should've been able to clearly see it as well. Especially with it being a full moon and all, the rings on her body would be sure to radiate.

"I-I'm here," she said quietly.

"Are you not feeling well?" he asked in concern.

"No… I'm fine - just tired." She could hear him coming closer, up to the side of her bed. Her breath halted as she waited to see what he would do. Gently, Liam removed the blanket, being crouched down to her level. Selina wordlessly stared at her partner, far too timid to break the silence.

"Please tell me what's wrong - and I'd like the truth. Have I upset you?"

"N-no," she said, shaking her head, "not at all Liam. You've only ever been sweet to me." She immediately realized that her word choice had not been the best - that much was apparent by Liam's facial expression.

"…Okay… but what's wrong?"

"I've just… been really deep in thought," she said honestly.

"Oh… about?" There was no way she could truthfully answer that question and not make it awkward. The stuff that Marvin had said had been on her mind these past few hours, and despite the harmlessness of it all, that still didn't change the implications - implications that flustered her beyond belief. _No… Liam can never know about that…_

"If it's alright with you… I'd like to keep that to myself…" Rather than press the issue, he smiled and nodded, then got back on his feet. She slowly closed her eyes - maybe a little sleep would clear her mind somewhat.

"Of course." He softly caressed her side, causing her to sigh in content. She always relished his kind and gentle mannerisms - so much so that she was disappointed when he stopped and headed over to his own bed. She watched as the lucario hopped on top and sat up.

"So how did the rest of the meeting go?" she asked.

"We covered a lot. We reasoned that due to the information revealed in the visions, the nature of the problem at hand would stem from a position of leadership."

"That… makes sense," she stated.

"Right. And Rachel filled us in surrounding settlements and which ones could potentially be a threat. We need to keep up with the political landscape of all the nearby villages and the like."

"That sounds… kinda hard," Selina murmured.

"Yeah, especially since each settlement tends to have a different method of establishing a leader. Eleanor and Flora have agreed to split up and learn about each of the nearest dozen or so villages over the next couple of days."

"Then there isn't much we can do for now, is there?" Selina asked.

"Not at the moment. All we can do is wait until they come back."

"Yeah…" She shivered at the very thought of the two visions. What kind of a society was _that_? Team Retribution would surely do everything in their power to eliminate any possibility of a future like that from occurring. She just hoped that wherever Team AWD was, that they were staying out of trouble.

"Hey Selina?"

"Mhm?" The umbreon shifted her gaze over to her partner, seeing him looking towards the full moon.

"I was thinking about something during the meeting…"

"Oh? What about?" she asked.

"About our team… about what we do…"

"I-I'm not sure I follow…"

"I mean… when we started the team… you wanted to explore the world. But I picked the name, and I… I geared everything towards what _I_ wanted to do. We were supposed to be in this together, and yet… I've failed you in that regard. I've turned this team into… into a team of bounty hunters…" She kicked the covers off and headed over to his bed. He was trying to conceal his emotions from her - a typical move on the part of the lucario. At the side of his bed, she contemplated what she should do. Her friend needed her; that much was for certain. "Selina… I'm so sorry…" A slight sniff, and she knew what she needed to do.

The umbreon, much to his surprise, hopped up onto the bed with him. Liam was intentionally looking away from her, and she had a suspicion as to why. "Hey," she said sweetly, "look here…" He slowly turned to face her, and she could see the tears that had started to make their way down his face. _No…_ "Liam… please don't cry…"

"Selina… I've ruined your dream… your vision…" She placed a paw to his mouth to gently silence him.

"You have done nothing of the sort, alright? We have been all over this continent, and we've made countless discoveries. We may focus more towards stopping outlaws… but you know what? I'm fine with that. Once that whole thing with Darkrai was settled… I kinda started to rethink what it was that I wanted to do…" He gave her a questioning look, to which she gave him a sincere, heartfelt smile. "I've loved every second of our explorations - that much is true. But nothing has brought me more satisfaction than making the world a safer place by taking down those who would seek to harm others. That is what I enjoy doing now, and I couldn't imagine doing it with a better person than you." She used his shoulders to pull herself upward, and, ignoring all boundaries, gave a tender nuzzle to his dampened cheek.

"S…Selina…"

"Hush now. You are my partner and greatest friend, Liam, and I hate to see you beat yourself up like this. Our team has gone on more explorations than I could have dreamed. But even greater than that, we've made this world a more peaceful place. If that isn't something to feel proud of, I don't know what is. So I don't want to hear any more of this nonsense about you 'ruining' my dream, okay?"

"O-okay."

"Good. Now go ahead and get some sleep."

That night, after the lucario had surrendered to sleep's embrace, Selina found her mind occupied with various topics - the visions, their new teammate, what sort of job they might take tomorrow… But none of those things even came close to her most prominent thought: the exchange she had with Marvin. _What… what on earth would lead that child to say such a thing?_ Her question would only go unanswered. She wasn't upset with the little manaphy for his statement, but that didn't mean she was okay with it either. _Just go and 'get him a brother' he says…_ As if it were even remotely that simple. And the thought of her and Liam…

 _Ah… I shouldn't be thinking about that…_ But it was impossible to push those kinds of thoughts out of her mind. _Marvin… I swear…_ As much as she cared for Liam, it was wrong to be thinking thoughts of such activities. And yet as much as she tried, Selina couldn't seem to shake the thoughts. _Selina, get a grip on yourself_ , she thought. _He was a human for the love of Arceus…_ But then again… he wasn't a human anymore, now was he? And what difference would it have made anyways? _Whatever - he's my friend. I… I can't be thinking like that about him…_

She turned for what must have been the hundredth time that night in an effort to get comfortable. _I… should try to get some sleep too…_ And eventually, she joined her partner in the realm of unconsciousness - but not before completely forcing her mind to stop for the night. Yet even in her sleep, the umbreon wasn't able to put the matter to rest.

Selina was basking on the beach's warm sands, lying down on her belly. The weather was perfect for outdoor activities - something that the rest of the team had been sure to take advantage of. The others were scattered about; some underneath the shade of the palm trees, while others were chilling in the shallows, letting the waves softly impact them. Liam was showing Rachel how to throw iron thorns precisely. Several were stuck within a small target that had been crudely drawn, and Liam was showing her the proper arm motions before releasing.

"Not quite - you gotta remember to keep your arm straight."

"Alright…" She took one into her forepaw and aimed carefully at the target, before letting the weapon fly. It embedded itself deeply inside the tree - right within the middle ring.

"Much better!" he congratulated. "Look at that! Tone your aim a tad bit, and you've got yourself a bullseye!"

"Thank you so much," she said with a warm smile.

"No problem. With a little practice, you'll have it down in no time." As he gave her a few more tips about the subject at hand, Marvin approached the lucarios.

"Hey bud," Liam said.

"Hey dad! That looks like fun," he said. "Would it be okay if I tried?" Liam looked over towards Selina, then back to the manaphy.

"I'd uhh… prefer that you give it a year or two more before you start trying to throw these things…" Marvin was disappointed to hear this, to say the least.

"Why? I could totally do it!"

"I don't doubt that one bit," Liam said gently, "but the fact of the matter is that it's a little dangerous. They don't always stick… sometimes they bounce back. I can't even bear the thought of you getting hurt… so it's a no for now."

"Oh alright," he mumbled. "Don't get to do anything fun around here…"

"It's… not about that son. Not everything we do is fun. When the time comes, your mom and I will allow you to engage in the activities we do. But that'll be when we feel that it's safe enough; you will have to be patient. You know that we want what's best for you."

"I know," he admitted with a sigh.

"I'd better go," Rachel said. "Need to head out towards Amp Plains before long, and I still gotta pack."

"Okay then. You take care," Liam replied.

"Sure thing. And thanks so much for the advice!"

"Anytime." The female lucario took her leave, whereas Liam walked over to the tree and began to pull out the embedded spikes.

"Wow," Marvin said, "those went in really deep…"

"Yeah. Gotta throw 'em hard if you want it to be a threat." After he yanked the last one out, the two of them headed over to where Selina was.

"Did you have fun?" she teasingly asked. He always resorted to a sense of childishness when lobbing around those spikes.

"You know it. What about you? You look like you're enjoying yourself." He was right about that - she was far too comfortable to even consider moving.

"Mhm. You two feel free to join me down here." Liam wasted no time and jumped down beside her, his back having impacted the sands harshly and sending small particles flying in each direction - including towards her face. "Ugh! Liam!"

"Heh, sorry." He reached over and softly brushed her cheek, removing all traces of his action. Selina couldn't really be frustrated with him, even if she wanted to - not when he was so gentle and so caring.

"You're a handful," she muttered.

"Yep. But I'm your handful."

"That you are," she said with a smile. He slid his arm under her chin, putting them in the same position they were on the beach. She nuzzled his neck, then his cheek, and finally…

She awoke with a start. Her heart was pounding, and she was holding the covers in a death grip. _Arceus… oh Arceus…_ Selina stared up at the ceiling of their home, unsure what to make out of all of this. Tears were beginning to well up in the umbreon's eyes as she quietly stepped out of bed. Liam was still sound asleep, thankfully, and by the looks of things outside, it wouldn't be too long before the sun began to rise. Selina walked up the steps and silently opened the trapdoor, then stepped out into the still-dark atmosphere.

— — — — —

 **Eleanor**

— — — — —

 _Let's see… that looks about right…_ The cresselia, after the previous night's conversation, had not found it within herself to settle down and get some sleep. Instead, she had gone to the guild at a late hour, much to Chatot's annoyance, and had asked for a copy of a complete map of the continent. Despite his irritation, though, he still had sought to appease the legendary, for the matter at hand was quite a serious one. This modern map had nearly every single major town and city that had been constructed across the land, each labeled and with their respective populations underneath.

Eleanor had spent the majority of the night taking notes on each and every one, incorporating everything she had learned about them all and jotting down their respective spheres of influence. And it had been just as Rachel had stated; whereas a few select areas possessed advantages that could help them dominate this part of the continent, all of them lacked some factor or another that would make such a conquest within the realm of probability. _It must be a fairly local conflict,_ she had concluded after hours of work. And that was by far the most terrifying conclusion of all.

She wearily rolled the map back up and placed it in the middle of the table. That was enough for now. Her and Flora would likely depart near midday, so there was no problem with her sleeping in a little. Using her psychic powers, Eleanor had the curtains close over each of the windows. She descended onto her bed, where the soft pillow called her name…

A knock sounded at the door. Her eyes slowly opened. _Who… who could that be at this time?_

In her exhaustion, she looked anything but presentable. Yet she couldn't leave whoever it was unanswered. Slowly she levitated to the front door and opened it. "S…Selina? Why are you up so early?"

"I'm so sorry," Selina said, "I just… I need to talk with you _now_ …"

"A-alright." They went inside, where Selina spilled everything - Marvin's words, her thoughts, and most importantly, the dream she had just had. Despite her exhaustion, Eleanor intently listened to every word, not interrupting once as the distraught umbreon explained her predicament. As Selina struggled to keep it all in - tried as hard as she could to keep from breaking down - the cresselia remained silent. _You poor thing… beating yourself up over factors that are out of your control…_

"I-I don't know what to do," she sobbed. "Liam… is my friend. And all night… I haven't been able to get thoughts of… of _that_ nature out of my head…" Eleanor figured that she had heard enough and embraced the troubled umbreon.

"Shh… it's okay…"

"N-no… it isn't - I shouldn't be—."

"Selina," Eleanor interjected, "you cannot control what others say, nor what you dream. All you can control are your own thoughts and actions. And from the looks of it, you have struggled very hard to do just that."

"But…"

"Not to mention the fact that it has been a one-time occurrence. It may never happen again, and if that's the case, it would only be a matter of time until this whole thing fades away. Do not trouble yourself over it - just give it some time."

"O…okay…" The umbreon leaned into her, and Eleanor placed her hands on Selina's sides, giving her friend a supportive hug.

"I wouldn't worry about this if I were you," Eleanor said. The matter really wasn't as big of an issue as Selina was making it out to be, but the cresselia decided to keep that to herself. And even the 'worst case scenario' might be pretty enjoyable for the dark-type. _Ha… I better really keep that one to myself…_

"Thank you," Selina said. "Thanks for listening to me."

"Anytime." The sun was beginning to rise, and Selina started to head for the door.

"I… I should go now. Liam should be awake by now. We always eat together…" _Shouldn't that tell you something?_

"Understood. I'm going to catch some sleep now," Eleanor replied.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I uhh… didn't sleep last night. I was busy taking notes and working out some calculations in respect to all the major settlements across the continent."

"Oh my… Eleanor… you should have said something. Liam and I would have helped you…"

"It wasn't too big of a deal. Essentially I just came to the conclusion that Rachel was almost completely correct in what she said at the meeting."

"Well… if we could, let's all look it over together. Right now I'm gonna let you get some sleep."

"Alright. You take care Sel—." A knock sounded at the door. _Oh for the love of Arceus, who could that be?_ She opened it telekinetically, only to find a magnemite police officer there. _W-what?_

"Sorry for the unwarned visit," he said in his staticky voice. "However, given the circumstances, a mandatory town meeting has being scheduled. All citizens are to report to the Town Square immediately."

"What? What's going on?" Selina asked.

"I do not know. All will be revealed at the meeting." With that, he left, joining several other officers in spreading the news to the other nearby houses. _You have got to be kidding me,_ Eleanor thought. It was as if everyone was making a collective effort to ensure that she wouldn't rest. Nevertheless, only a really important matter would warrant such a visit from the police. The two of them slowly joined the crowd of people heading towards the center of Treasure Town.

"What could be the matter?" Selina asked Eleanor. "Only time they've done anything like this… was back when Dusknoir was here…"

"I'm not sure," Cresselia sleepily said.

"Concerning to say the least," Tristan said from beside them. Selina looked to her left, seeing the luxray had found his way to them.

"Oh, hey Tristan," Selina said.

"Hey. Looks like something's gotten them stirred up. Thinking they're about to give some sort of a public announcement."

"That would make sense," Eleanor stated. "You think they knew to go over to Sharpedo Bluff? You and Liam kinda live out in the middle of nowhere…" Selina shook her head.

"Liam is surely awake by now. He gets up earlier than I do. My guess is that he'll be waiting for us over in town." They passed the Guild, from which people were streaming out of. _Something serious is going on here…_

As the umbreon had suspected, Liam was waiting towards the front of the crowd. "See? Told you two." Selina slowly made her way through the crowd until she was by Liam's side. Before long, the rest of the team had arrived, and they all stood right in front of the public speaking area. Within another fifteen minutes, everyone in Treasure Town had found their way there, forming a large, bustling crowd of nearly ten thousand. Wigglytuff stepped up on the central podium, with Chatot by his side. Both were visibly upset by something. The crowd fell silent. _Oh no…_

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," he said loudly enough for all to hear him. The usual emotion in his high-pitched voice was absent. "I apologize for the sudden nature of this meeting, but something has come up, and we felt that everyone here had the right to know about it as soon as possible…" Chatot walked forth and took over.

"For as long as Treasure Town has been around, it has followed the advice of Elder Torkoal. His wisdom has been an invaluable factor in the creation of public policy, and I can assure you that this town would not be half of what it is now without him."

"Now that you mention it, where _is_ Torkoal?" a wartortle asked.

"Don't be a dumbass - you know it takes him awhile to get anywhere," someone else said, albeit much quieter.

"Elder Torkoal…" Chatot was having considerable difficulty in giving voice to his statement. "He…" Wigglytuff stepped in for his friend.

"Our friend… our advisor… he passed away in his sleep…" _What?! No… oh Arceus no…_ Everyone fell silent as the members of Team Retribution looked at each other in terror.

"He went peacefully," Chatot said, "surely he didn't know when it happened… But this is problematic for a number of reasons other than the passing of a very close person to all of us…" Liam put his hand to his head, trying his best to keep his worry under control. As though they weren't struggling with the very same thing.

"Chatot and I influence much of the funding for the town," Wigglytuff said. "But frankly… I don't know what I'm doing. I've always taken the advice of Torkoal before spending anything. That's always worked because he was very wise… but now…"

"What's gonna happen to the town?" asked a concerned voice - a female kirlia.

"…I'm not sure," he answered defeatedly.

"Until there is a replacement for Torkoal, we cannot in good mind spend the Guild's funding. All forms of expansion and renovation will have to cease for the time being…" This sparked a slight outrage within the community, and it became difficult to hear anything over all of the commotion.

"What do you mean?!" asked a plusle. "My wife and I don't have a home yet! We even put down the first payment!"

"The stream through our house has been blocked!" said another. "What do we do?!"

"What about the—."

"Quiet!" Chatot yelled over the crowd. Everyone fell silent. "Obviously we understand the importance of Torkoal's position - that's why we are seeking to find a suitable replacement as quickly as possible."

"And how long will _that_ take?" someone asked.

"I don't know - we need to appoint the right person! We can't just pick anyone!" Chatot said.

"And how are you going to do that?" another voice yelled.

"I don't know!" he snapped. "We've never had to do this before! Now you all shut up for one damn minute so we can talk!" For the rest of the public announcement, no one dared to utter a word out of place. Wigglytuff took over once more.

"Chatot and I were thinking… that perhaps it may be best to leave this matter to the people. Although a situation like this has never occurred, we figured that the citizens of Treasure Town know what they want; that you all are capable of selecting a leader that can represent your interests better than we can. With that being said, we think that it would be best for everyone here to select the new leader of Treasure Town through an electoral process." _An… election?_

"But… I don't understand…" Kangaskhan said. "How would it work?" Even the concept of a democracy seemed alien to the inhabitants of Treasure Town. Liam decided to answer her question.

"Basically what Chatot means is that some people that feel like they're right for the job would compete for it. But instead of fighting, they hold debates and talk about policies. When the time comes, everyone casts a vote, and the person that gets the most votes wins the position."

"That's so… strange," she replied.

"Several places around the continent actually do it," Liam stated. "I know Obsidian City holds elections like that. And it definitely works well for them."

"Exactly," Chatot said, "which is why we feel that such a system would be ideal, given our lack of proficiency in the field of public policy. This way the people can choose what they want and who they want." Several nods throughout the crowd as people began to take to the idea of democracy. But despite the comfort among the citizens, all of the members of Retribution were trying their best to hide their panic. _It's happening…_ Liam took the others by surprise when he walked up to the podium.

"What are you doing?" Chatot asked him. The lucario just turned towards the audience.

"I'd like to see a show of hands - who here is now in a difficult situation due to halt in public spending? And I mean _really_ going without." Everyone looked around; a couple of dozen hands went up here and there - fairly good odds, considering the amount of people present. _What are you up to Liam?_ "Alright, anyone that had their hand up come visit Team Retribution after the announcement. We're willing to help you out if you need it." A round of applause sounded as he stepped down and rejoined his teammates. Eleanor noticed the relieved looks on the faces of those who had their hands raised.

"What convinced you to do that?" Flora asked. Liam looked around, then motioned for them to follow him. He led the group off towards Duskull Bank - out of hearing range.

"Other than the fact that it was the right thing to do… we're making sure the right person wins this election…"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

 **Yay, I'm alive! Mostly. Sorry it took some time. College breaks are way longer than high school breaks, and my family and I were out in the middle of nowhere during that time, so no internet access. But all that bullshit aside, here's the next chapter of the story! If you enjoy reading or want to voice your thoughts, please consider leaving a review. Thanks!**

 **Special thanks to LunarKnightArchangel and also Shadow8130 for poof reading the chapter!**

 **I still don't own Pokémon...**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 **— — — — —**

 **Liam**

 **— — — — —**

The rest of the day for Team Retribution was spent all around town assisting people wherever they could. They had split up to cover as many families in need as possible, finding out what they could do to assist them. Since it was Liam's idea, he figured that it would only be fair to use his own money to fund any assistance taken on behalf of the team, even when the others insisted on helping out. There simply was no arguing with the lucario about this one.

Altogether, they helped out thirty-eight individuals in issues ranging from paying for the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure to ensuring that those who had jobs in the public sector had enough to pay for their necessities. None of them doubted that Liam had volunteered to do such on behalf of the team for the right reason; he was always more than willing to help those in need. That's why they took the jobs they did, after all.

But the other reason was just as important. At the end of the day, the one thing that each and every person they had helped would remember was that it was Team Retribution that had stepped in - that it was the very team that had saved the world twice that had been willing to take charge over the lack of government and ensure that the inhabitants of the town were taken care of.

As the night drew near, they agreed to meet once again at the beach. The time had drawn upon them faster than any of them could have possibly imagined. Eleanor and Flora were told to disregard their previous mission and assist with the efforts to help the inhabitants of Treasure Town.

Once the time had come, they built a fire and sat around it as they had the previous night. It took a moment before any of them could muster the strength to speak. But eventually, Liam broke the silence.

"Well… I guess this is it…"

"The situation has turned out to be a local one," Eleanor said, shaking her head. "Our worst fears have come to life…"

"What are we going to do?" asked Selina. "We… don't have a lot of time…"

"I'll tell you what we aren't gonna do - we aren't gonna freak out. We won't be able to accomplish anything if we can't keep our heads level," the male lucario said. "Now, I have a plan of some sort, but we are going to need to cooperate completely on it and shift our focus towards it. That means no jobs for the time being." Without pointing out names, Liam continued. "And if any of you need _any_ help of any sort, please don't hesitate to ask. I know that this means a temporary cutoff for finances, so please come ask if you're in need. We're all in this together."

"This plan you speak of," Flora said, "what is it?" Liam nodded.

"Keep in mind that I uhh… haven't really worked all the details out and all…"

"Still better than nothing," Selina said. "Whatcha got?"

"Alright, so I got to thinking earlier - right when Chatot was up there speaking. We need to make sure that someone of good character wins this position. What better way to do that than have one of us run?" The others were surprised to hear such a suggestion, but Liam knew what he was doing. It was within his ability to sense auras, and he knew for a fact that everyone present had the best intentions.

"Wh…what?" Eleanor asked. "One of us run?"

"Yep. I have confidence that everyone here could fill the role honorably," Liam said.

"Maybe so," the cresselia replied, "but there is far more to the position than having honorable intentions. We're talking about someone that needs to run the public sector of the entire town!" Liam hadn't exactly thought about that, but she brought up a valid point. As noble a person that needed to take over, they would also have to have experience in financing.

"Err… that's true," he admitted. Both he and Selina were out of the question; though they were very well-off, money had never been an issue for them, and they never needed to be concerned about their wellbeing.

"Anyone else got any suggestions?" asked Flora.

"Either of you would be a phenomenal choice," Liam said in reference to the two legendaries present. "Both of you possess many advantages that would likely win a great deal of votes." With their appearance, their status as legendaries, and their membership of the second most elite team in the continent, Flora and Eleanor did have several positive attributes.

"You know anything about the public sector?" Flora asked.

"Not at all," replied Eleanor. "I do not know if I would even want such a job…" _Dammit… Well, there goes that idea._ They needed someone that was a leader - someone that would stand up for what was right and that knew what they were doing. And everyone here seemed to lack that last factor. _Unless… Yes! Of course!_

"Tristan! What about you?!" The luxray looked at him in shock.

"What? Me?"

"Yeah! You have way better experience than any of us in balancing funds, and your heart certainly is in the right place! You'd be a perfect candidate!" The others nodded in agreement.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Selina said, causing Tristan to smile slightly.

"You… think so?"

"Of course! You're a perfect fit for the position!" Hearing this definitely elated the luxray's spirits.

"So what do you say?" Liam asked. "Wanna give it a shot? We will have your back the entire way. With our combined efforts, I'm sure we can get you the position and stop those dreaded events from ever occurring in the first place."

"Yeah… that sounds like a plan!" Tristan said happily. "We've got this!"

In the morning they would start. They would make sure that such a future would never come.

 **— — — — —**

 **Tristan**

 **— — — — —**

To think that his friends found him suitable for the position was flattering, and the luxray was bubbling over with excitement. His head was held high as he entered the guild, ready to formally announce his candidacy. But as he neared the guildmaster's room, he noticed the decently-sized line of people that had apparently had the same idea. _Oh… looks like we've got some competition…_ Liam quickly picked up on his newfound nervousness.

"Don't worry about a thing," Liam whispered as they neared the back of the group, "most of these guys don't even have a chance." As the two of them came closer, other pokémon looked at them in shock. What on earth was Team Retribution doing there? One individual - a wartortle they had seen around a time or two - simply turned around and departed upon noticing their presence. _Ha, looks like he got discouraged and left!_

The soon-to-be candidates were waiting their turn to speak with the guildmaster. He and Chimecho were taking names and information about each of the hopeful participants in the election. Currently a honchkrow had just finished up with his registration and turned to leave the establishment. Tristan immediately felt a sense of unease simply from the dark-type - one whose demeanor spoke of arrogance and conceitedness, and a glare that displayed of a feeling of superiority. The luxray already disliked him.

"Team Retribution," he said with a smirk. "How surprising to see the two of you here."

"Oh? And why's that?" Tristan asked.

"I would never have imagined public office to be fitting for either of you. But then again… all that 'charity' was anything but, now wasn't it? Maybe politics might just be the place for you after all," he jested.

"I'm sorry," Liam said in clear irritation, "just who are you?"

"Ah, you must forgive me. My name is Damian. Of course, everyone around these parts knows the two of you. Tell me, which of you is running?"

"That would be Tristan," Liam replied. Damian looked at the luxray in surprise.

"Really? I would have surely thought that the leader of Team Retribution would have been considering a campaign. What got you interested?"

"We… wanted the right person to win…"

"And we all felt that Tristan was the guy for the job," Liam added. The honchkrow nodded.

"I see… Well, I wish you the best of luck. You're certainly going to need it." With that, he turned and left the two to themselves.

"What an ass," Liam said under his breath to Tristan. The luxray couldn't agree more.

"Really. Just who the hell does that guy think he is?"

"Don't know, and quite frankly, don't care. There's no way he'll beat you - not with all of us behind you." Hopefully that would be the case. But as Liam had pointed out previously, they were starting out with several advantages. Team Retribution was loved and respected - especially in the very town of their origin. Some random asshole likely wouldn't stand a chance.

Eventually they made their way to the front of the line, approaching the two in charge of the guild. "Well if this isn't a surprise," Chatot said. "And I was beginning to think no _real_ candidates would show up. Liam, just don't treat the position like some sort of joke when you win."

"Actually… I'm not the one running…"

"Wh-what? You mean…"

"Of course," Wigglytuff said, "Tristan is a fine choice. He and his team have contributed so much to this town - I'm sure the citizens would be very supportive of such a candidate." Hearing the guildmaster's words of support heartened the luxray.

"Thank you," he said. Of course, Chatot likely was still upset with Tristan's decision regarding the tax amount, but as Liam had said, he would get over himself.

"Well, that's all we need from you," Wigglytuff said. "The election will be one month from today. Each week until that point will mark a major debate amongst all the candidates in the center of town. Officer Magnezone will be in charge of making sure that everything is legitimate - that is to say, activities such as bribery, rumor-spreading, slander - stuff of the sort is kept out of this election. Any questions?"

"None that I can think of," Tristan replied, before turning to Liam. "Well… I guess we better get started."

 **— — — — —**

 **Liam**

 **— — — — —**

The two of them followed the stream of people outside of the guild, before people began to split off and go their own separate ways. Liam and Tristan decided that they would discuss their plan for winning this election with the others over a team meeting in their usual spot. It may be difficult to convince the town that Tristan was the best person for the job, but they definitely had some distinct advantages on their side. After all, Tristan _was_ a member of the team that saved the world twice. If that didn't help, then nothing could.

The upcoming debates were something else though. Tristan would have to become well-versed in financial and social matters if he wanted to win - and simply being a part of their team didn't assist him in this matter at all. He was great with money, true, but he would have to convey what he knew to everyone else effectively, or none of that would mean a thing. But Liam was confident in his friend - surely he would be able to pull this off. After all, the entire team was behind him.

On their way back to Treasure Town, the two of them saw something that made them forget all about the election at the moment. Weavile and her team were back in town, staring curiously at the small crowd returning from the guild. They hurriedly began to make their way towards the trio - they couldn't let this chance go to waste. "Weavile… you're back…" Liam stated.

"Yeah… you got a problem with that?" she replied.

"N-no, quite the opposite, actually. We need to talk."

"What do you all want with us? We've been staying out of trouble!" she said.

"Mhm. Breaking your parole seems to me like abiding by the law," Tristan replied, causing them to quiet down. "But no, we're not here about that."

"Oh? Then what's the matter?" Arbok hissed.

"I would prefer that we speak about that in private," Liam said. "Mainly it's for Weavile…"

"And we aren't a part of this because?" asked Drapion.

"The two of you are not involved in this. At least, not as far as I know. We need to talk to Weavile in private. After that, she's free to tell the two of you whatever she wants."

"Oh alright," she sighed. "This had better be worth my time though." She made her way beside the two of them, before looking back at her teammates. "I'll see you two back at our place. Behave."

"Yes Lady Weavile," they both answered.

"Thank you," Liam said. "Tristan, could you tell the others that we'll be meeting up in about half an hour?"

"Sure thing," the luxray said, before running off, leaving the weavile and lucario to themselves. Liam didn't know exactly how he'd go about relaying such a vision to the skeptical Weavile given the contents of what he had seen. But as both Eleanor and Selina had said, he needed to try. Sharpedo Bluff would be as good a place as any for a private discussion, so he began to make his way there.

"Say, what's with all the people coming out of the guild?" Weavile asked. "The place usually isn't that crowded."

"An election is going to take place. Elder Torkoal passed away recently, and people are signing up as candidates to replace his role as the advisor of the town."

"That's a shame," she replied quietly. "Always liked that old man."

"Yeah… I'm gonna miss him too…"

"So… you signed up for the position?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No, Tristan signed up."

"What? That seems like… well, not the best of ideas…"

"I couldn't agree more," said a familiarly annoying voice. _Great, you again_. "It would only seem natural that the leader would sign up, rather than one of his side-kicks. But I guess I shouldn't complain. After all, it makes things easier for me." The lucario simply tried to ignore the honchkrow, but Weavile simply stared at him for a moment.

"Wait a second… I know you…" she trailed off.

"I do not recall meeting you in the past," he replied. "The name's Damian."

"No it's not - you're Kraven!" The honchkrow grinned in response.

"I beg your pardon? You must be mistaking me with someone else."

"There's no mistaking it! You belong on a chopping block for all the things you've done!" _Wait… what?!_ The honchkrow walked closer to the Weavile, causing her to back away in response.

"You touch her and I break your wings," Liam said. "Now who the hell are you?" The large bird looked around, and ensured that they were out of hearing range of the public.

"He's criminal scum," Weavile said.

"Oh? And tell me again what it is that Team AWD has done in the past?" the honchkrow said.

"We've paid for our crimes. And there's a hell of a lot of difference between picking pockets and forcing people off of their land. You're nothing more than a heartless extortionist! A murderer!"

"That's quite a series of accusations you've raised against me," the bird replied. "Do you have any evidence to back those claims - anything that you could show the police and have me convicted?" She remained silent. "I didn't think so." He looked over at Liam with an indifferent glare. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter that you've heard all this - having you disposed of would be more trouble than it's worth. And besides, accusations without evidence could be considered slander, right? You wouldn't want to mess up that campaign that you all are running, now would you?" The lucario wanted nothing more than to take him down. But they couldn't - not here, and not now. He'd be likely to twist the truth and make it seem as though he was the victim of an assault.

"Go to hell," Liam said.

"Such unkind words," Kraven retorted. "Well, I best be off. I've got an election to win." He spread his wings, readying himself to take off. But before he did, he made eye contact with Weavile one final time. "You know how things worked out last time. If I find out that you're going around spreading stuff about me… I'll have my guys hunt you and that pathetic team of yours down." With those final words, he took off, kicking up a small cloud of dust beneath him.

"No one really knows where he came from," Weavile said once they were at the bluff, sitting underneath one of the two tall trees near the house. "I don't think it was from this continent. But he has done nothing but bring misery to everyone he's ever come across."

"What do you mean?" Liam asked.

"I mean he has been known to take over entire towns! He forces people to sell out - gives a deal they can't refuse. Well, they can refuse it - if they want to get themselves and their families killed. He has his thugs deal with anyone that doesn't give him what he wants… And now he wants to be the most powerful person in this town…"

"That's not going to happen. We're going to win the election, and make sure that the visions don't come true." She tilted her head upon hearing this.

"I seem to recall that umbreon saying something about visions…"

"Yeah, it's an ability I have. The dimensional scream. For some reason, I'm able to see small glances into the future or the past when I make contact with something or someone."

"That… doesn't sound natural…"

"It's not. No more natural than me being a human turned into a pokémon though." She went wide-eyed upon hearing this. "But all that can be discussed later. The team has been concerned lately because I've been getting visions for the first time in awhile, and they're not looking good. I got one the day we were at the Kecleon brothers' store…"

"So then… when you fell… that stuff was real?"

"Why would I fake such a thing?"

"Well… good point…" she admitted.

"I don't blame you. It sounds crazy. But the dimensional scream helped us when we stopped Darkrai both times, so we know that we can trust it." She nodded.

"Alright then… so how does this involve me?"

"Think about it. I got the vision a moment after I made contact with you."

"So then…"

"The vision was about you, yes," he said. "And I'm gonna be straight with you… it didn't look good…"

"Oh… what happened?" As painful as the truth was, Liam gave it to her, leaving out not one single detail of what he had seen. From the nature of her torture to the way in which it was to end, the lucario relayed every facet of the vision to the now-terrified Weavile.

"I-it doesn't make any sense!" she said as tears began to form. "We have been staying out of trouble! Honest! I couldn't have been locked up for something!"

"I believe you," Liam replied. "The others and I have been talking about this for a few days now, and I think that now I've put things together. There was another vision - one involving Eleanor and Lapras."

"W-who?"

"Eleanor - the cresselia on our team. She was meeting with Lapras to discuss shipping people out past patrols. And he delivered weapons to her. We came to the conclusion that someone corrupt would gain a position of power. After all, who else would be able to send out guards to round up dissenters? A day after we figured all that out, Torkoal is pronounced dead. And now with the election… and Dam— I mean Kraven…"

"Arceus… it's all happening now…"

"That's what I think. I don't really know what all to do for now other than to win this election…" he said.

"But he's not going to play fair - he's going to find a way to—."

"Then we will just have to do some interfering of our own. I refuse to let the lives of everyone here be at risk because I sat by while some thug manipulates a fair electoral process. We will win - one way or another. But as for you, Drapion, and Arbok… I think that you three should temporarily relocate to a safer place. Somewhere far away from Kraven's reaches - at least, until everything has settled down." She looked down, then slowly nodded.

"I think… you're right. I wish that we could put up a fight with them… but it didn't go so well last time. We barely escaped with our lives. I don't remember any of it. Drapion says that I went down almost as soon as it started. And if it wasn't for Arbok creating a haze… I don't know if we would have survived. To my knowledge, we're the only ones that have lived through a fight with him and his thugs…"

"Well, he's not going to claim any more victims. The others and I are going to put an end to all this, and when everything's said and done, he will get what he deserves."

 **— — — — —**

 **Selina**

 **— — — — —**

 _Where is he?_ the umbreon wondered. It wasn't like Liam to be late for anything - especially a team meeting. "What could be taking him so long?" asked Flora. "Didn't he call for this meeting?"

"Uh… yeah, he did," Tristan replied. "He found Weavile though. My guess is that he's still speaking with her."

"That's good," Eleanor said. "At least one thing has gone accordingly."

"Yeah, there's that. Hope that she takes those words to heart," Tristan added.

"I'm sure she will. Who wouldn't upon finding out such a future?" asked Eleanor.

"True."

Selina lightly yawned as she stretched out, making herself comfortable. But her mind was racing all the same. Despite the skirmish they had in the past, she truly wished the best for Team AWD. She harvested no ill-will towards any of them, and they had, as far as she could tell, changed for the better. Hopefully Weavile could manage to change the outcome of that dreadful vision - one way or another. Her ears perked up as she heard the familiar footsteps approaching.

"There you are," the umbreon said. "What was the holdup?"

"Sorry about that. She uh… I had to comfort her a bit…"

"That bad?" Tristan asked.

"I mean… she just found out that rape and execution could very well be in the near future for her…"

"So what now?" asked Flora.

"Well, I told her that it would be best that the three of them relocate until we get things straightened out here. Can't be taking chances, you know? That's something I wanted to speak with you about, Flora."

"Oh?"

"Would you mind leading Team AWD to Shaymin Village? It's safe and secluded from everything that could possibly go on over here."

"That sounds like a great idea. I will make preparations for the journey this afternoon. Think that they may be able to leave by tomorrow?" she asked.

"I dunno. I think that it would be best that you meet with them and discuss their relocation, though, and then decide where to go from there." Having said this, Liam took his usual seat beside the umbreon. "Now that all that's been said, I think I should move on to the main focus of this meeting. First of all, Tristan is now in the running for Advisor. We need to spread the word around town and increase his base of support."

"Alright," said Eleanor, "we can start with members of the guild. While Wigglytuff and Chatot may have to stay out of this, our friends there certainly will be supportive of this campaign."

"Great idea. Selina and I will take care of that, as we've been with them the longest. Everyone besides Flora should probably assist Tristan with his campaign in town - you know, increase the awareness of his campaign. I really hate to say this… it sounds incredibly slimy - maybe it is - but I don't think we have much of a choice right now. But try and relate this whole campaign to the team. Make sure everyone knows that this member of Retribution is in the running, and that he's the right guy for the job." That was an odd to hear Liam say - why did he want the campaign to ride upon the success and reputation of Team Retribution? Selina couldn't understand why he would suggest such a thing, but surely he had a reason.

"Alright, so what's the rationale for this?" Rachel asked. "It does seem somewhat underhanded…"

"Because I have found the person that will bring these visions of mine into a reality. And he's also in the running." _What? Oh… oh no…_ Selina thought. The others were in a similar state of shock.

"Who would that be?" Lapras asked.

"A guy by the name of Kraven, but he goes by Damian."

"Wait a minute… wasn't that the jerk that we met at the guild? That honchkrow?" Tristan asked.

"Yep, that's the one. Team AWD has already had a run-in with him before. It didn't go well for them. The guy's an expert criminal and extortionist, and he's had plenty of people killed from the way things sounded. My guess is that he was passing through and the election sounded like a great way to personally profit."

"With all the money that flows through this town, I could see why he made such a choice," said Rachel. "And you are concerned that he will try to interfere with the election."

"Of course he will," Tristan said. "That sounds like something that'd be up his alley. So what are we gonna do?"

"Right now, the only thing I can think of is to run a good, clean campaign, but don't be afraid to use our positions as members of Retribution as leverage. We're going to need to utilize every advantage we have in order to safely secure this election."

"Agreed," Eleanor said, "we cannot allow this horrible person to ascend to the most powerful position in town."

Once the meeting had concluded, they each went their separate ways. While Flora was making arrangements with Team AWD, Liam and Selina decided to head up to the guild and begin conversing with their friends there. Surely they would be supportive of their cause.

"I just… it's all happening so suddenly…" Selina said. "And hearing all this…I'm scared for the future of this town…" She looked up to her companion, hoping to find a look of reassurance. Instead, he seemed just as concerned as she was.

"I know. I'd be lying if I said that I was at peace with all this. Tristan… he's a good guy… but he's never done anything even remotely close to this. None of us have. I hope that he's able to cut it." Selina nodded - their friend, while being kind at heart, was about to embark on a journey that none of them could truly comprehend. He was about to engage in a fight of a different nature, one that was completely new to all of them. And yet they had no choice. One question about the election had been on Selina's mind ever since this whole thing had started.

"Liam? Could I ask you a question?"

"Of course. Anything."

"When you made the suggestion… you know, saying that one of us should run? Why didn't you volunteer?"

"…Honestly… I wouldn't want the job…"

"But you would be an amazing fit for it," the umbreon replied. "You are more of a leader than anyone I know. Why didn't you want to run?"

"Maybe I might be good at leading a team… but that's different from leading a town. But most importantly, my loyalty does not lie with Treasure Town." _W-what? What are you saying?_ "Nor does it lie with the guild. No, my loyalty lies with you and with Retribution, and I refuse to do anything that would jeopardize my time with those two things."

"I see…" She looked up at him with a smile. "You do know that I would always be nearby - that is, if you became the Advisor."

"I know," Liam stated, "but it wouldn't be the same. I'd have to give up a lot of our adventuring, and I don't think I could bring myself to do that."

"But… does Tristan know?" The lucario nodded.

"We talked about it earlier this morning. He understands that he will not be able to go out as much as before. He still wants to do this though."

"Well, if that's what he wants…" she trailed off. "This… may sound kinda selfish… but I'm glad you didn't decide to run. The team wouldn't be the same…"

"Plus… I don't think that I could sit around all day and give orders…" Liam said. "It just seems… _boring_. But yet the Advisor is arguably the most important person in town, so it's a very crucial position."

"Well… I'm glad it's a position that you are not considering."

They approached the stairs that led uphill, Liam for the second time that day. They intended to receive all the help that they could get in securing the seat for Tristan. Hopefully it would be enough.

 **— — — — —**

 **Rachel**

 **— — — — —**

"We will be sure to do just that," the green Kecleon brother said. "Liam and Selina have been loyal customers for years, and even greater friends. If they support someone, then we will back that candidate fully."

"In fact, I'd say we could do even better than that," said the other reptilian. "I will be sure to remind all our customers who to vote for."

"Why thank you," the female lucario said. "All of us at Retribution are deeply grateful for your contribution to Tristan's campaign."

"Don't think anything of it! Besides, that seat's as good as yours. Do you think the entire town is going to forget what team saved the world? I sincerely doubt it."

"While that may be true, Liam made it a point not to try and make it seem as though the town owed something to Retribution for those past actions," she said.

"Of course - a noble thing for him to say indeed. But that being said, I feel that we could grant him this small favor. It may pale in comparison to what Retribution has done for the town, but it is one step towards a proper 'thank you.'"

After thanking them again for their help, Rachel decided to move to the next booth - the Kangaskhan Storage. The lucario was very optimistic about their chances of winning - they seemed off to a fantastic start. While Cresselia and Tristan were spreading the word in person, she was tasked with getting as many local business on their side as possible. So far, she been able to secure a third of the town's major stores, each of them being happy to help Liam and Tristan with the matter at hand. _This is going better than expected. Retribution really does have a reputation around here…_ It only served to make her job easier.

"You don't need to waste your time here, sweetie," the motherly kangaskhan said to her. "I've seen what you all have been doing, and I know about the campaign."

"Oh? You do?" asked Rachel.

"Mhm. You can tell your friends that Liam's team will always have my support, and that I will back them throughout this strange process." _Strange?_

"What makes you say that?"

"It's just that the position of Advisor has always been passed down around here. It's been like that since far before our time. I can't understand why that's changing now. But if Liam is supportive of it, then I am willing to give it a chance."

"Well, I'm happy to hear you say that," Rachel replied. "Remember, though - it's not Liam that's running."

"Oh yes, I know. Although I do not understand why someone like Eleanor wasn't selected."

"Eleanor?"

"Of course - that young lady has quite a brilliant mind on her. And a legendary, too! I have no doubt that she would be a superb leader. But don't think for one second that I am speaking ill of Tristan."

"No, I didn't take it like that at all," Rachel said. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the cresselia on the side of the bustling road, motioning for her to come over. "It looks like I need to get going."

"Nice talking to you dear. Good luck with that campaign!"

"Thank you!" She hurried over to Eleanor while Tristan began to approach the two of them. "Hey, how're things going so far with you two?"

"We seem to be off to a good start," Eleanor replied. "People are very much liking the idea of a Retribution-associated candidate."

"I've noticed that too," Rachel stated.

"But I got to thinking," Eleanor continued, "that perhaps we should create some form of promotion for Tristan."

"Promotion?" Tristan asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know - a banner for instance. Put that in the right place, and people would see it and be reminded of your campaign every time they pass it. I overheard another candidate saying something about it. I think that if we could make something like that - and maybe, just maybe - ask the store owners for permission to place the banners on their shops, then we could really get the point across." Rachel did have to admit, it was a pretty well-thought out plan. To come into town and see all the stores sporting the same flag in support of their campaign - that would certainly promote the idea of a town in support of Retribution's cause.

"I think that would be a great idea. We can get started on the design tonight," said Rachel. "In the meantime, what do the two of you say to taking a lunch break?"

"Won't hear any objection from me," Tristan said with a smile. "Eleanor?"

"Well… alright. But we should get back to work once we finish," the legendary said.

"Great. Anyone up for Spinda's?" Tristan asked.

 **— — — — —**

 **Eleanor**

 **— — — — —**

As they were eating, thoughts of the election were still swarming the cresselia's mind. The other two seemed to be enjoying the break - and they deserved it, with how hard they had been working. But the cresselia couldn't help but shake the rather uneasy feeling that was plaguing her.

Despite what Liam had said about Tristan's qualifications for the job, there was a significant difference between being able to manage one's own personal funds with expertise and being able to advise and entire economy's. As skilled as Tristan may be, she honestly deemed him to be too young and too inexperienced for the position. But then again, the presence of an election left them without a choice but to put someone in the running. Hopefully the young luxray would listen carefully to the elders around him, and take their advice before making any rash decisions.

But yet this paled in comparison to her main concern. Eleanor, throughout the morning, had been doing most of the talking - _she_ had been the one introducing him to people. It didn't help that when citizens of Treasure Town heard 'Retribution,' they thought of Liam, Selina, or the cresselia herself. But he was still coming across as slightly timid, and perhaps even a tad bit introverted. _It's very worrisome,_ she kept thinking. _A leader needs to have the exact opposite traits._ And that was just it - Tristan was no leader. Liam was a leader; Rachel was a leader - and if she was to be honest, Eleanor could also consider herself one. But despite his positive attributes, the luxray had always seemed to be a follower, just as content to listen to the orders of others rather than to take initiative on his own. If he wanted to convince others that he would be the best leader for the town, then Tristan would have to first learn to _act_ like a leader. And they only had a month to teach him to do just that. _I hope that he will come through,_ she thought.

They were simply placing all of their efforts into something that didn't seem to be so certain. Liam may have confidence in the selection, but her doubts were very reasonable. If Tristan wanted to defeat this heinous person they were about to compete against, then he would have to shape up.

And yet, there was one other thing that Eleanor couldn't seem to ignore - this matter being about Liam himself. She had the highest respect for both him and Selina, and she would lay down her very life for them without a second thought - and they would do the same. But that did not mean that she had to overlook what he had said - those words from his recollection of his conversation with Weavile. She knew him well enough to know when he was up to something, but exactly what he may have been planning was beyond her for the time being. All she could do was relay those words of his in her mind. _We will win this… one way or another…_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Until next time! Already at work on the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

 **Not much to say this time other than let's get right into it! And also thanks to Orthros.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

 _What a disappointment I must be!_ the luxray thought. _The candidate of Team Retribution, and I go up there and blow it like that!_ The first debate had not gone accordingly to how he had planned at all. It wasn't as simple as going up there and speaking your mind about policy - no, you needed a detailed plan for how you would fix society, wrap it up in a bow, and hand it back to the people. The onlookers had pelted them with questions - questions that he had not seen coming. Questions that Kraven had known just how to answer.

The luxray made his way back to the beach with tears in his eyes. How could he let his team down like that? They had all poured their very hearts and souls into this effort, and he had gone and made a fool of himself when he needed to make a lasting impression. And not only had he let them down, but he had now put the entire wellbeing of the town at risk. How would he face the others after such a failure on his part? What if… what if they came to the conclusion that he wasn't suitable as a candidate and put in someone else? He would never get over the embarrassment.

Unfortunately for him, the beach came into sight. There was no running away from this confrontation. Already he could see them waiting in silence, taking notice of his presence. He slowly made his way towards the circle of people that he had brought shame to. All he could do was keep his gaze focused on the ground.

"Well… what happened out there?" Liam asked. _Keep… keep yourself together…_

"I… I d-don't know," he croaked. "I just…" _Don't you fucking do it…_

"…Tristan?" Flora said.

"Y…yes…" It was everything he had to hold it in.

"Look… we aren't mad at you… We just… I think you may have needed a bit more planning, that's all." He could feel the upset tone in her voice though, and he tried to act like he didn't feel the prying gazes directed at him. He had failed them all. "Listen… I'm sure that we will be able to work past this. We've still got you back though, right guys?" For a moment, they were silent. But eventually, Eleanor spoke up.

"We are not going to abandon our friend - especially when it is apparent that he needs our assistance. But Tristan… you have to meet us halfway. You are going to have to put in just as much effort as we are towards this campaign. Is that understood?"

"…It is…"

"Good. You go home and get some rest. Tomorrow we will start reviewing policies and viewpoints that you will need to cover in the next debate. You cannot take another hit like that." He voiced no opposition to that. Anything to get him away from here. He could hardly take standing amongst them right now.

"I… will see you t-tomorrow…" He turned around, his head still low from his shame. _Soon…_ Soon he'd be back home, where he wouldn't have to worry about being judged when he inevitably let out his emotions.

— — — — —

 **Flora**

— — — — —

"I'm sorry to say this Liam… I truly am. It hurts me to speak such words about our friend, but I do not feel that he is adequate for this position," Eleanor said. "Did you not see what happened on the debate stage?"

"…No…" Liam said. "I wasn't there at the time…"

"What?" She shook her head. "Well, I'll fill you in. He was made to look like a fool, Liam. In front of the entire town. He barely proposed any sort of budget plans to the audience, and Kraven managed to paint him in a negative manner. Now he looks like an inexperienced candidate that wants to take down the public sector completely."

"I am well aware of what happened," Liam snapped.

"Well then, what are going to do about it?" Eleanor finally asked. "This was all your idea, and I believe that you have planned things out… Or at least, I feel that _you_ _think_ you've got this all figured out…"

"I do," Liam said in irritation. "We can make this work with Tristan."

"And you are certain of that? After tonight… speaking of which, where were you exactly?" That was a good question - why had Liam not attended his own candidate's first debate? Flora certainly would like to hear the answer to that.

"I had some things that I needed to take care of," Liam muttered. "But none of that is any of your all's concern. All that matters is that Tristan is clearly not as prepared as we had thought, and that he needs help getting on track."

"I will take care of that," Eleanor said. "But this is the candidate that _you_ selected, Liam. I expect you to be putting forth some form of effort as well."

"…You have no idea what I'm contributing to this campaign, Eleanor," Liam said. "So don't even suggest that I'm not pulling my weight."

"And what's that supposed to mean exactly?" asked Flora. Of course, they were expecting him to come up with some other way to avoid the question, just as he had done for the one before. What they had not expected, though, was for him to just ignore it. "Liam?"

"The important thing is to help Tristan get his stuff together, and that's the end of that."

"…Alright then," Eleanor said. "As I said earlier, I will assist Tristan any way that I can…"

"Thank you," Liam responded. "As for the rest of you, get some sleep. I've got a feeling that we've _all_ got a long week ahead of us…" It was anything but the closure that any of the others wanted, but they weren't getting anything else out of the lucario.

Once the meeting had concluded, they began to go their own ways. Eleanor held Selina back before she could head back home and was speaking with her quietly about something. Whatever it was did not concern Flora, and she didn't really want to know. Right now, something else was far more prominent on her mind. She backed up, sprinted forth, and propelled herself into the sky, transitioning into a soft glide over the dimly lit town.

 _Poor Tristan_ , she thought to herself. _I know he could have done better… but surely he didn't deserve that… He must be crushed right now…_ His demeanor had been nothing short of brokenhearted among his friends, and the looks of disapproval that Liam and Eleanor had given him did anything but help. Not to mention the fact that he had been the polar opposite of concealing with his feelings…

But she also understood that Tristan _did_ play a part in all this. The moment he had stepped up in front of all those other people, it was like his mind had gone blank - it seemed like he had not learned a single thing from day one. He stuttered, left questions unanswered, and was made to look inferior to that crooked thug. Kraven seemed to know very well how to speak in front of others, and how to appeal to them with his viewpoints. But only Retribution knew what his goals truly were.

Tristan needed that skillset, and he needed it soon. It wasn't exactly something that could fully be developed in the course of a few weeks, but they would have to make do. Not to mention that they had already made a huge push for Tristan's name among the citizens. Even if it wasn't too late to replace him as a candidate, doing so would surely be taken as a sign of weakness, seeing as to how poor a job they had done with their first candidate. _Arceus… all this political stuff is so complicated…_ Not that she cared much for the whole scene, anyways. She hardly knew what any of them had been talking about - all those taxes, budget cuts, the public sector - as long as someone of good character won, then everything else would work itself out as far as she was concerned.

 _There we are_ , she thought as she began to descend. The small house was dim; if he was home, then it was likely that he was sleeping. But that didn't matter for the time being. He needed to hear what she had to say. Flora came to a soft landing right in front of the building of interest. She wasted no time before knocking on the door. Silence was her only response. _Come on, answer._ The shaymin knocked once again. "I know you're in there Tristan. I'm not going anywhere until you come out!" And she wouldn't; once Flora had set her mind to something, there was no convincing her otherwise. She was stubborn and unbudging; everyone on the team knew that, which was probably why, after a few minutes, shuffling could be heard from inside the house.

He opened the door slowly, refusing to make eye contact with her at all. Seeing him like this broke the shaymin's heart - he tried in vain to hide the dampened fur around his eyes. "Wh…what is it?" he quietly asked.

"Look at me," she said gently. He wouldn't. "Hey… we all mess up from time to time. It's okay…"

"No… it's not… I brought shame to the whole team today."

"You're only bringing shame to _yourself_ \- just look at you! Everyone has bad days. The only thing you can do is get back up, go out there again, and not make the same mistakes. And that's what we're here for. We will help you do this, but we need you to be confident in your own abilities. I've watched you take down dozens of the most dangerous outlaws in the contentment. This might be a different battle than all of us are used to, but it's one that I know you can and will win. So have some faith in yourself, okay?" He slowly nodded.

"O…okay. I'll do my best…"

"That's all we ask," Flora said. "Just don't beat yourself up over this, and get ready to win this thing, alright?" Seeing his lifted spirits made her happy, and for a moment, the shaymin contemplated whether or not she should do it. But eventually she stopped thinking it over altogether and simply acted. She gently pecked the luxray on the cheek. Flora blushed as the light jolt of electricity was sent through her body, feeling his immediate reaction to her gesture. As she pulled away, she saw the feline before her in a flustered state, averting his gaze in order to avoid her own. Figuring this would be the best time for her to leave so that she would not give in to nervousness, she backed away. "You go ahead and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"…Alright," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The gentle breeze stirred the sleepy umbreon from her sleep, blowing across her face ever-so-slightly. She pulled the covers up to shield herself, but doing so left her hind paws exposed to the wind. As much as she tried, there seemed to be no resolving the issue without untangling the blanket. _But… that requires getting up…_ she thought. However, there was no way that she could go on like this. Frustrated and just wanting to get back to sleep, Selina rolled herself out of bed and went about straightening the covers out.

 _There_ , she thought, everything finally being to her liking. The blanket would shield her from any similar breezes and would allow for the umbreon to resume her rest uninterrupted. She just about hopped back up when she noticed something. Liam's bed was empty.

His own blankets lay strewn about - something he would never do. For as long as she had known the lucario, he had always made his bed up very neatly. _What… where is he?_ Not only that, but something was missing. His sash. Curiously, she left the confines of their home. Selina's eyes darted around, scanning the darkness for any trace of her partner. Nothing. _Alright, don't freak out_ , she thought to herself. There wasn't much to gain from doing so. But she did need to find her friend, and no matter how much she wanted to calm herself, the worry would not abide until she had done so.

Selina quickly paced through the town, scanning the countless buildings as she made her way to the main square. A few people were out and about, but being as early as it was, the majority of the town was still asleep. Still though, the dark-type asked everyone she came across if they had seen Liam, but nobody had. She refused to turn back, though, figuring that there were only so many places that he could have gone. It was doubtful that he would need to access the Guild this early, and they didn't even open their front entrance for another two or three hours. That hadn't stopped him in the past though… With no other leads, the umbreon made her way there.

As the large tent came into view, she was surprised to find the front gate to be already open. _So then there's been some activity going on…_ Before Selina could enter the building, Chatot emerged, dragging a large bag behind him with his beak. "Umm… what are you doing?"

"Some of the food has spoiled," the bird said tiredly. "It needed to be taken out. I'm just about to head over to the field."

"Would you like me to take it for you?" she asked. She could accomplish the task a lot easier than he could.

"That would be great. Do you know where the compost pile is?" She nodded. As Chatot helped lift the bag onto her back, she reminded herself of her original mission.

"Has Liam come by today?" she asked.

"No. And I sealed up that stupid window that he always comes through. The rest of the Guild is still asleep, so he wouldn't have had any reason to come here anyways."

"Oh… dang…"

"I'm sure whatever he's up to, it's no good," Chatot murmured. "Oh well, I've got a few things I need to attend to. Thanks again for taking care of that."

"No problem." Selina turned around and carefully descended the steps, before making a left turn. The fields were about a five minute walk from here, but she was slowed down by the heavy bag on her back, and the last thing she needed to do was drop it where nobody could help her lift it again. So she took it slow and steady, and before too long her destination came into sight. The berry field stretched out to her left, but that wasn't where this bag was headed. Rather, the composting pile was stationed in the corner of the grain field, where the grass-types would soon spread it all throughout the soil, providing sustenance for the new plants. Eventually she approached the large heap, to which she dropped the bag. _There, glad that's done._ _Now back to finding Liam…_

There were only a few places that he might still be. Of course, there was the possibility that she had just been in the wrong places at the wrong times, and that he had already made his way back. But while she was here, she may as well check the last remaining areas. As she hit the four-way intersection once again, she took the southern route - towards the main entrance to the town. The wooden gate was getting closer and closer, and with it, the person she was looking he wasn't alone.

There were five others - three of which were from the sandile line, and two of whom were felines of a species that she was not familiar with. One thing was for certain, though: they were all dark-types. Liam had his sash on, armed and with a slightly aggressive stance, but he wasn't making a move. _What is he doing?_ She hurriedly began to close the distance between them, ready to help her partner. But before she could get there, the krokorok snatched a small pouch from the ground, and the five of them took off into the night.

Liam turned around, then flinched upon seeing her right in front of him. "Mind telling me what that was all about?" she asked in a slightly hostile tone.

"I… how long were you watching?"

"Long enough. Now tell me, what were you doing out here? Who were those guys?" He remained silent, clearly not wanting to answer her question. "Liam… I'm not gonna drop this. You will tell me what you were doing just now…"

"I… I don't know what to say," he finally replied. "I didn't want you to get the wrong idea…"

"And what kind of idea do you think I have now, seeing you sneak around like this in such a dreadful hour of the morning? Now tell me."

"Alright, alright," he relented. "But back at our place, okay?"

"Fine, but when we get there—."

"I told you I'd tell you, and I intend to do that. But not out here in the open."

The walk back was more than a little awkward, and she fought the urge to glare at him a time or two. Just what on earth was he doing, sneaking around like that? If it was something important, why was she not included? So many questions flooded her thoughts that she barely noticed Liam open the trapdoor into their place. _Alright, time for some answers._

"Start talking Liam," she said once they had sat down. The lucario surely knew that there was no way out of this one, so he began to speak.

"Kraven is trying to rig the election, just as we thought." _Great…_

"How so? And can we prove it?"

"Proof? Well… obviously he's not gonna admit to doing it. But he's been paying off a bunch of thugs to register as part of the city so that they can vote for him. He knows that he can't tamper with the votes with Officer Magnezone and the other police watching over the polls, so he's trying to bribe enough people to take the election. Those guys you saw were some of them."

"What? How do you know?"

"I noticed when the traffic picked up. I snuck into the guild and saw the census. All this time, over three quarters of the people immigrating into the town are dark-types. I found one of them and got him to spill." Selina looked down, annoyed by the entire situation. This wretched person was doing everything in his power to take over this town, resorting to such a dirty trick.

"And why were you there?" she finally asked.

"Well if it's money they came for, then it's money they would be willing to leave for, right?"

"Liam…" She hated to hear that he had been trying to deal with this on his own, and immediately her anger vanished. "How many?"

"It's been around a hundred-eighty so far."

"What?! And you didn't think to tell me about this?!"

"Look, I didn't want you to get the wrong idea of me, okay? They're almost all dark-types, and… I didn't want you to think that I was trying to keep that kind of demographic out of the city. If Kraven hadn't paid them to do this, then I wouldn't have a problem with them coming."

"I know you're not like that," she said. "That's not who you are. You would never do such a thing."

"Yeah," he replied, "but there are definitely those out there that would."

And he was completely right. There was a stigmatization attached to being a dark-type. For Selina, it was a little different: she had chosen to become this, and being in the eevee line, didn't exactly fit the bill for the 'innately troublesome' characteristic that was often considered to be just a part of the average dark-type. But for most of the others, it wasn't uncommon to receive suspicious glares from surrounding people.

It wasn't as if a large portion of dark-types were exactly helping these stereotypes, either. It was no secret that this particular type committed by far the most crimes as evident by their own arrests alone. For such a small part of the population, they were a majority of Retribution's incarcerations. It hurt her to see this, too: obviously not all dark-types were like this, but all those that _were_ simply gave the whole typing a bad name, making further stigmatization so much easier. At least Liam gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. _Glad he's the way he is._

"So you aren't upset anymore?" Liam eventually asked, snapping her back into reality.

"No, I'm still upset. You should have told me what you were doing. I would have helped," she countered.

"I didn't want to bother you with it. It's something I can do on my own. Don't want to drag you into it, seeing as to how you're a dark-type too. They might have harassed you about it… calling you a traitor to your own kind or something…" And that was not uncommon in their experiences; over the course of their exploits, sometimes the outlaws would give Selina trouble, calling her a sellout to her own type.

"I have no loyalty to any type - only individuals. I don't care what they say, I'm going to uphold justice as we've always done. And if that makes them mad, then I couldn't care less." Despite the situation at hand, the lucario smiled.

"You know, you're awfully adorable when you put your foot down."

"And you're awfully stubborn when you put yours down!" she responded.

"Fair point." Liam headed back over to his bed, jumping back onto it.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"What's it look like? It's like four hours till sunrise," he said matter-of-factly.

"Fine. But I want your word that you won't be doing stuff like this without letting me know. We've always been a team, so I expect you to act like it."

"Alright, alright," he said, pulling the covers over himself. She rolled her eyes, but ended up following suit. True, her species may thrive in the dark, but she was tired - especially after her recent search. "Look… I'm sorry again…" he said.

"Oh… you know I can't stay mad at you. Now just be a good boy and don't do it again," she teased. _Wait… that came out the wrong way,_ she thought. It was probably for the best that he went to sleep shortly after, leaving her to her own thoughts.

She hated the idea of Liam trying to fight off Kraven's corruption all on his own. Eighty individuals so far? She didn't know what he had paid each of them, but it all must have amounted to quite a sum of money. And he would be totally content with paying it, too. The lucario wouldn't even consider his own finances in something like this. _Such a selfless person,_ she thought. But she wouldn't allow him to try and tackle this problem alone. What kind of friend would she be if she did?

Well there was nothing for her to do for the time being. Except, of course, to go back to bed. It wasn't long before she too began to drift off.

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

The torches illuminated the countless faces within the town, bathing the whole atmosphere in a bright orange light. Of the handful of hopeful candidates that had started out, only two remained now, and their banners lined the streets. Kraven's was black and red, the image of a well-detailed feather being the most prominent feature. Tristan's consisted of a light blue and black background with a yellow star in the center - the very signature star on his species' tails. It was almost time for the second debate.

Tristan had tackled the endeavor with a renewed vigor since that night, and if he wasn't out campaigning in person, then he was reviewing policy and strengthening the team's positions with the others. Eleanor had helped him the most in this regard, and Liam had taken care of most of the funding issues. He was nervous, especially after last time. But he felt prepared too.

From the eastern road the opposition could be seen. No, he wasn't just opposition; he was an enemy. And when all of this was said and done, Retribution would make it very clear what kind of a person Kraven was. They would stop at nothing to have him locked up, and the day that sentence was carried out, the world would be a safer place. But they would have to win this in order for that to happen. If they didn't, then those visions of Liam's would be a reality.

When the time came for the debate to start, both of the candidates stepped into the center of the main square. Everyone gathered around, including the rest of Team Retribution. As the honchkrow stepped onto the stage, Eleanor nodded towards him. Tristan needed to maintain the image of politeness towards Kraven just until the debate had concluded, and after that… then it would be on. But they would need to maintain the professional facade until then. Hopefully he'd be able to do that, even though he hated being in this close of presence to such a vile person.

Before he knew it, the two of them were standing within a few yards from one another, facing what seemed like the entirety of the town. _Alright, calm yourself,_ he thought. _This is what Eleanor and I have prepared for._ He still had a crippling fear of this whole public speaking thing, but he had to get over it for the sake of everyone in Treasure Town. All of their futures were at stake, so he couldn't let them down.

The line was formed; people with questions ranging from various topics would ask the two candidates, receiving an answer from the both of them. The first one was none other than Kangaskhan from the storage facility. Tristan was relieved that the first questioner was one who was strongly aligned with their cause. The lowly murmurs amongst the crowd fell silent, signaling the start of the debate.

"Good evening, you two," Kangaskhan started. "My question is pretty short and to the point. I have a friend from Capim Town that has gotten things in order to move over here. Unfortunately, though, we're running out of places for expanding the settlements. What do you two think would be an option?" _Good,_ Tristan thought, _we covered housing in detail the other day._

"I feel as though the shoreline would be a great option for the construction of additional houses," Kraven said. "If the town continues to spread at this rate, then we will need to expand there anyways." Retribution obviously didn't like this idea - the beach was their meeting place. Of course, they'd be willing to find another spot if such an action was absolutely necessary - but it wasn't, and it would come at a cost.

"That's not the best solution by far," Tristan countered. "Plenty of non-assimilated individuals already inhabit those areas. Krabbies, for instance, along with several other species of water-types live there. But the forests within the southwestern quarter are unoccupied and could provide most of the resources needed for construction. That and the fact that clearing these parts would not result in the displacement of other people."

"That is a good point. I hadn't thought about that," Damian said. "I'd thought that creating a line of beach house would be desirable, but we certainly wouldn't want to force the others away. The forest sounds like a better option." _Of course he'd lie about such a thing. Wouldn't want everyone seeing his true face, would he?_ But musing to himself would do him no good; he needed to focus. Kangaskhan seemed content with this answer, thanked the two of them, and headed back into the crowd, making way for the next person in line: a bayleef.

"Hi there, my name's Cecilia," she said happily. "The others and I were just making our final preparations for the planting of the grain, but we've been having an issue with the growing population as well. See, these past few years have been pretty great for Treasure Town, and our numbers have just about doubled. But the amount of resources that we have been provided with hasn't grown by such an amount. We've only got so many people, and time has to be spent wisely - like deciding whether or not to clear more trees for farmland, or investing more effort into crops on already cleared land in hopes of higher yields. I was hoping that one of you two may be able to change that. What could you do to help ensure that we're able to feed the whole town?" Fortunately this was Kraven's turn to go first, which would give Tristan some time to formulate the best response. And he needed time; though agriculture was one of the most important processes for the town, it also happened to be something that he knew very little about.

"Well that's something that is of utmost importance, obviously," the honchkrow said. "Clearly a town without a reliable source of food will not last long. But who says that we need to grow all of our own food? We already import some - why not increase that amount? Doing so would offer greater culinary diversity to the town and would ensure that nobody would risk going hungry. We have a substantial amount of funding, so the costs of doing so wouldn't be a problem. Not to mention it would allow for you and the other farmers to take more time off." As much as the luxray had hated it, Kraven had actually put forth a good response. But that by now, he had some points that he had formed on his own.

"Yes, that's definitely an option," Tristan began, "but I'd hardly call it a solution. Instead of solving the problem, doing something like that would only be a temporary fix. You said it yourself: the population here is growing rapidly. As well off as we are, we can only import so much food. We need to be as independent as possible. I think it would be better to focus much more on the work that you all do here rather than trying to just solve the issue with spending. Making our farms more productive would be a much better option for Treasure Town in the long run. That means increasing all of your all's funding and subsidizing individuals who decide to go into agriculture." The bayleef smiled upon hearing his response, and his confidence grew tenfold. _Wow… I just managed to say all that on the spot!_ By the sound of the crowd, he had done a great job.

"Thank you," she said, before merging in with the rest of the crowd.

Question after question had been asked in such a manner. Some Tristan answered better, while others had been more favorable for Kraven. In the end, it had seemed like the two had just done just as well as one another. That is, until that one fateful question had been asked. The typhlosion stood up tall and asked the question that made the whole debate.

"I moved here about four months ago," he began. "Before that, I lived in Obsidian City. I worked as a financial advisor of sorts. One thing that surprised me is that most people in this town are doing fairly well. Until the shortage of new homes, most people could get one at a reasonable cost. Food isn't exactly expensive, and the public sector here is pretty well set up. But all of that can go downhill in a matter of months - especially when it comes to transitions of power. So how are each of you going to make sure that the town continues to thrive?" _There we are._ It had been the topic he'd been waiting for: economics. Out in the crowd, Liam looked at him and nodded. Tristan had this.

"I can guarantee that nothing will change under my watch," Kraven answered. "The last thing anyone here wants is for the town to suffer. The current economic model has been very effective for the growth of Treasure Town, and it will continue to be effective as long as I can help it." _Ha, acting like he cares about the town's money. All he'd like to do is get his claws on it,_ Tristan thought. But unlike the evil person next to him, the luxray _did_ care, and this time, he knew what to say.

"Let me ask you this," Tristan began, speaking to the typhlosion, "do you know how our economic system works? Where the funding comes from?" The typhlosion thought it over for a moment, but eventually shook his head.

"No, I can't say that I do," he admitted.

"Well you're not alone. In fact, I can bet the vast majority of the town has absolutely no clue. The system needs to be changed, because it's about to lead to the end of this entire town." The crowd began to murmur as people became concerned. He had them right where he wanted them. "I'll fill y'all in on what's going on. As you all know, I'm a member of Team Retribution. Just like every other team associated with the Guild, we paid our dues. Our 'fair share' to help this town.

"Except it was anything but a fair share. The Guild intimidates all teams associated with it into paying _ninety_ percent of everything we earn. We go out there, take care of the worst people in society to make it a better place… and then we get taxed nearly to death for doing so. I would get to go out and fight murderers all day, come home, and try to make things work so I'd be able to _eat_. How is that fair at all? There's no justification for it, which is what leads to the problems. Teams are leaving. People are moving here, but the very groups that this entire town is completely _dependent_ upon are heading out. Nothing is stopping us from going private - there are no laws against it. And that way, we'd get to keep all of our earnings.

"So what will you all do then? If these oppressive policies continue on, then you will witness the complete collapse of this town. No public work at all - no money. Farms will shut down and people will go hungry. And when that happens, those that made _all_ of this possible will have long since left." He looked at the typhlosion once again. "See, I've been doing some research, and I think the tax rate in Obsidian City is a much more appealing number. Ten percent - that's all I even got to keep most of the time I was here. In fact, I think that Team Retribution would do very well for themselves by moving over there. And if you crunch the numbers, our team _alone_ provides over a _third_ of all public funding in this entire town. That's a hard hit for an economy to take, and that's just us. Don't you understand? We leave, and no more houses are being built. And all it would take is for a couple of other higher-earning teams to follow suit… and then the food shortages would occur. Houses are the least of everyone's concern once people start starving."

"Well then… what do you propose?" someone else asked in the audience. He could tell by the quietness in her voice that he had struck a chord within the spectators. He told them what needed to be said, and it was terrifying to them.

"It's simple really," he said. "Everyone needs to pay a _true_ fair share. We will pay, you all will pay - everyone will equally contribute. I can promise you that as much as Team Retribution has earned, the citizens of this town hold a lot more wealth. If everyone paid just a small portion of their earnings… then all these problems that we've talked about tonight would cease to exist. This town will grow unlike anything you can possibly imagine. But we cannot succeed - no; we cannot _survive_ \- if we don't make a change. So the options are actually pretty simple: either we as a group can keep things the way they are, maybe receiving another two years at best, or we can be responsible and provide for ourselves, rather than depending upon the funding of a few select individuals." The spectators started hurriedly talking to each other, and everyone present knew exactly who had won this round.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

The following morning brought about cloudy weather and sporadic bursts of rain. As such, most people decided against staying outdoors for too long. But for Team Retribution, the climate did anything but shut down their excitement. The entire team was celebrating Tristan's tremendous success with the debate in Spinda's Café. He had done even better than what everyone had expected, and throughout the morning, they continued to hear people speak about the debate. Once he had managed to get over his fear, the luxray had actually made for a very impressive public speaker. Eleanor had even admitted that she was wrong in initially thinking that the luxray wasn't the right choice as a candidate.

They had all repeatedly reminded him how proud they were, too. He was shy in accepting their praise, but likely glad to receive it nonetheless. Surely it was a hell of a lot better than the disappointed looks he had received after the first debate. Liam was glad the heat had been taken off of his friend's back, but things weren't quite finished yet. There was still one final debate.

The lucario downed the rest of his drink, before noticing someone towards the doorway. He stealthily glanced towards the others, seeing them to be caught up in their laughter. The way that Kraven had looked after the debate - that sheer level of frustration - had been something for them to cherish. It was just the distraction he needed. Liam nodded to the individual, who quickly headed outside before anyone else saw him. He leaned over to whisper something to Selina. "Hey, I need to head back to the bank. I don't know if I'll have enough to cover the bill," he laughed.

"You do know that we can cover our own, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know. But I wanted to treat the team for such a great job on this joint effort."

"Oh, alright," she said with a smile. "I guess I'll let you buy my food." He patted her on the back gently, then got out of his seat, quickly leaving the confines of the restaurant. Looking around, it didn't take Liam long to find who he was looking for.

"Thanks for keeping low about everything, Aidan," Liam said.

"No problem. Probably would have voted for your guy anyways. Wasn't going to turn the money down, though," he chuckled.

"Glad to hear it." Liam counted out the coins - Ᵽ1500 in total. He checked once again to make sure that no one was looking before handing the other person the money. He wasn't breaking the rules… not _technically_ … but it wouldn't look good at all for their cause if he was seen. Not to mention after Selina discovering his whereabouts last week, he'd surely never hear the end of it if the umbreon caught him this time. As for this particular individual, he had seen Aidan around a few times, and the aura that he released felt both positive and trustworthy to Liam. There wouldn't be anything to worry about.

"Alright, that sums that up," Aidan said. "Thanks again."

"No, thank you," Liam said. He turned around, heading back towards the café and leaving the typhlosion to himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

 **About time this story got an update! Next chapter is the election, so definitely stay tuned for that. As usual, special thanks to Orthros for the proof-reading services, which is always a massive help.**

 **If you enjoy reading, please consider leaving some feedback for the story.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

The final debate was coming down to the very nail. Kraven had prepared significantly more for this round, realizing last week that Tristan was actually a formidable opponent after all. He had gone back to the drawing board and come up with a new approach. Basing everything upon the shoulders of the teams was a failing strategy, as everyone had been made to realize from the previous debate. But that hadn't stopped him from promising other people's money to the citizens. Money that, in reality, he would likely extort once he had ahold of it.

Being the last debate, the majority of Treasure Town's citizens were present in an attempt to find a candidate that they aligned with the most. After the previous debate, word on the street was that Tristan was favored to win. That didn't come as too much as a surprise, given the endorsements that he had received. Not only that, but he had been able to easily verify his qualifications for the position: his skill in managing finances and his history of upholding justice. Kraven had been forced to falsify some form of origin story. Liam hadn't really been paying attention during that part; rather, he was more interested in how Tristan was doing with the planted questions.

One that he couldn't have seen coming though, was Magnezone. The sheriff had gotten in line to ask question as well, much to everyone's surprise. Though the police were to abstain from any political endorsements, that didn't mean they couldn't ask questions of their own in the debates. As the sheriff approached the front, the crowd fell silent once again. Everyone was eager to hear this.

"Congratulations to the two of you for making it this far," Magnezone stated flatly. "As we all know, despite the fact that Darkrai's attempts to ruin the world have failed, crime has been increasing. For every outlaw captured, two more remain in hiding. I have come to ask how justice will be served under each administration."

"That has been something that I've given a lot of thought to," Tristan began. "After all, that's most of what we do in Retribution. I mean… it's literally the meaning of the name. People that break the law - especially those that prey on others - should be dealt with swiftly and strictly. But we can't stop there. They've already committed the crime at that point, and if it was something like murder… then an innocent life has already been claimed. I don't think we need to be waiting around for the crimes to occur. No, we need to stop them before they happen. I think that can be accomplished by a much more careful screening process."

"Please elaborate," Magnezone stated.

"Well just look at statistics," Tristan replied. "It's no secret that the majority of crimes are committed by repeat offenders. If someone has been locked up before, then odds are they will continue to engage in similar activity. Obviously we shouldn't harass those that have been in opposition to the law, only to change their ways later, but we _should_ pay much closer attention to the moral character of those that enter into our town rather than just letting anyone walk through those gates. I'm all for anyone joining us, but our goal should be to protect our own people first and foremost."

"I see," Magnezone said. "And you, Damian?"

"I would say that I mostly agree with my opponent," Kraven said. "It wouldn't be fair to the people of Treasure Town to risk their safety by ignoring the potential threats at the door. But I think it would only be fair to give all the benefit of the doubt. I've seen some people commit some pretty serious crimes, only to completely turn their lives around. I knew a zoroark that simply went by 'Red,' and he was probably on just about every single watch-list of his time. He stole everything imaginable and didn't get caught for years. But the police played things smart and laid a trap for him, and when he inevitably came to do what he always did, they captured him.

"He spent five years behind bars. He got out - eventually. But the time afterwards was even harder. Just about everyone in the area knew who he was, so they always were watching, thinking that he would steal from them. And I can understand where that fear came from - it was a reasonable concern. But no one would hire him for the same reason, and he couldn't get a loan to start a business because the bank felt that he would take off with the money. In the end, he had to move to another continent altogether to try and make a new start for himself. After Red had spent all that time locked up, he had absolutely no interest in returning to a life of crime. But society almost wouldn't let him. Everyone saw him for what he had done in the past. He was never given a chance."

"All the more reason to never engage in such behavior in the first place," Tristan said. "That should be expected. When you spend a lifetime breaking the law, you shouldn't be shocked when others view you in a negative manner. I'm not saying that it was good what happened to Red, but such treatment, right or wrong, should not have come as a surprise to him." Liam cringed to himself upon hearing this. Not that Tristan's message was wrong in the slightest, but the audience was conflicted. Kraven had done well with gaining sympathy from them, and the luxray had responded with very little emotion. Not good for gaining support from the people that Kraven had just appealed to.

But it was only a single question among the three hour session. It seemed as though everyone in town wanted to ask something tonight. This was their last chance to question the candidates before the votes were cast. Liam felt that Tristan had done well tonight, but only time would tell who had more effectively appealed to the population. He was constantly trying to convince himself that everything they had done this past month would pay off - that the liar and murderer before them would fail and receive the sentence that was long overdue. That all the campaigning, all the speeches… all the stuff he'd personally done in the dark… would be enough to win this. It simply had to be enough.

— — — — —

 **Eleanor**

— — — — —

It was only a few days before the election was to be held. Already, the center of town was being prepared for the polls, and both sides were making their final pushes. It was at this time that Retribution had finally been able to see some of the others working on Kraven's campaign: all dark-types. She had to hand it to him; he could put on a friendly face. He could tell convincing stories, and could hide the cruelty and evilness that defined him. If Retribution didn't know what they knew, then they may even fall for his act. But to think that this honchkrow would be responsible for the suffering of so many in the not-so-distant future… _It's unthinkable,_ she thought.

The cresselia tried to keep her mind off of thoughts like that by focusing on the task at hand. She and Liam were engaging in community service by repairing the worn-down fences to the west of the main square. While Liam dug out the holes for the new stakes to be anchored within, Eleanor would prepare for him to move on to the next spot, telekinetically sticking the wooden posts inside so that Liam could drive the nails afterwards. That was definitely one of the advantages they had over Kraven: they had the people and the resources to engage much more personally in this endeavor. It really helped their cause to be seen performing public services like this, as it showed that they truly cared about the town. Of course, their careers did that as well.

Ever since she had teamed up with Liam and Selina to defend the planet from Darkrai, Eleanor knew that she wanted to stick with the two of them. _Arceus, the two of them were so cute back then_. With their pre-evolved forms always stuck in her mind, it was hard to look at them fully grown now. But those two were still the same people inside. Or at least, that was what she wanted to believe. Liam had been acting off over the duration of this electoral process.

She knew the lucario well enough to know when something was going on with him, and right now, there were too many red flags. Earlier, he had stopped working and went Arceus knows where, simply telling her that he would be back soon. She tried to watch where he had headed off to, but he managed to shake her. True to his word, he was back about ten minutes later, but Eleanor didn't like the secretiveness that he was displaying. It wasn't like him at all. She was like a sister to him, and he often talked with her about his plans, asking for the legendary's advice on most topics. But for the time being, he was quiet and secretive, and she didn't like it one bit. _He's up to something - that's for sure. I doubt it's anything good._

"Can't do anything without nails." he said. "Looks like we need more." _No, what we really need is for you to be upfront with everyone!_ Of course, she kept that thought to herself, but no doubt Liam understood that she was on edge with him. "Guess that wraps things up for now."

"Yes, it does…" Oh how she wanted to lay into him right now - to really give him a piece of her mind. Not in public, though. The lucario set the unused materials off to the side before dusting himself off.

"I'm gonna go get cleaned up. I'll see you tonight at the meeting."

"Alright," she replied. He went on his own way, heading towards his and Selina's house within the cliff. Eleanor debated between letting the matter go for the time being or really letting him have it. But before she could make her decision, Tristan had made his way to her.

"Hey," he said from behind, his voice both energetic and excited.

"Hello Tristan. You did a fantastic job on your speech last night."

"You think so?" the luxray asked.

"Of course. Our review sessions have really paid off. You gave that crook quite a challenge."

"That's good to hear. Do you think it will be enough for us to win?

"I think we will," Eleanor stated. "We already have such an advantage in this town, and you have managed to get across very well to the community." While she was meaning to be as encouraging as possible, the cresselia was truly impressed by how far Tristan had come. Hardly a few weeks ago, he had been the very same luxray to completely botch the first public speech. The same guy to cower in front of a crowd back then had managed to absolutely enrapture it this time around. While she was at odds with Liam at the current time, she did have to admit that maybe he really had selected a viable candidate. But she still didn't understand why he himself didn't run, or why on earth he was being so secretive about his questionable actions.

"It's about time for lunch," said Eleanor. "Would you like to join Flora and I?"

"I think I'll stay out here, actually. The election's so close - I don't wanna let up now."

"Alright, we'll see you later then."

As she made her way towards her next destination, Eleanor couldn't help but think about the way the election was headed. Break or not, it was really all anyone in their team could think about. Kraven likely wouldn't be able to salvage a victory with all the factors against him. But the possibility still loomed above them, and they couldn't rest until they were absolutely certain. She didn't know what would become of the town if such a person were to win. But more than that, she didn't know what Liam would do. His actions had been completely unpredictable as of lately, and she worried for him. Today had been one of the only days she'd actually _seen_ him in town. Other than the nightly meetings, he was often times nowhere in sight.

"There you are," Flora said, coming to a brief landing beside the legendary.

"Here I am," the cresselia answered. "Where did you come from? I thought you would be waiting there."

"Oh, I was just speaking with Liam," the shaymin said.

"What? Where?"

"Over by the beach."

"What?! He told me he was going back to his place!" Now she was going to really let him have it. But first she wanted to catch him in the act. "Take me to him now!"

"O-okay," she said. "Just don't shoot the messenger…" Both of them were soon in the sky, the cresselia hoping to catch her target before he could escape. She could hardly contain her frustration with him at this point. "Now about lunch…" Flora continued.

"We will deal with that _after_ this," Eleanor said through gritted teeth.

"Fine," the grass-type said with a sigh. The two of them drifted over the shoreline, where several sets of footprints could be seen, one of which was very familiar. All of them led off into the woods adjacent to the coastline before vanishing more or less.

"We need to find him."

"Why? What's wrong with Liam right now?" Flora asked.

"How can you not see? He's been acting very suspicious ever since this whole election process started. He's all over the place, and I know for a fact he's lying about his whereabouts. If isn't doing something wrong, then why would he be hiding from us?"

"Well… I guess you've got a point. But it doesn't _seem_ like something he'd be doing - sneaking around and trying to hide from us."

"And where did you just find him? Somewhere other than where he told me he'd be," Eleanor replied. "Now keep quiet and listen carefully for him. His aura sensing abilities aren't the best by far, but it won't take him long to figure out that we're here." She drifted lower until she was only a few feet off the sandy ground beneath, scanning the seemingly endless woods for any sign of their teammate.

"I don't see anything," Flora whispered.

"Me neither. But you said he was out here, right?"

"Yeah - he spoke with me right over there," Flora stated, motioning over by the rocks where they always held their meetings.

"And what did he say?"

"He just wanted to know how things were coming along, and when you and I would be finished with lunch."

"…That didn't strike you as odd?" Eleanor asked.

"Now that you mention it… I guess so. But he wasn't expecting me either. I came here to see if Rachel was here and ask if she wanted to join."

"She's over at the dojo trying to gain support amongst the fighting-types. Weren't you listening last night?"

"I may have had a few things on my mind," Flora admitted. Just then they noticed a figure moving in the distance. _Of course,_ the cresselia thought. _We forgot to check Beach Cave!_ Both her and Flora sped towards the other person, only to come face-to-face with a female buizel. She looked at them in slight fear, carrying a small pouch in her right paw. Without a word, she ran over towards the sea.

"Oh no you don't!" Eleanor shouted, using a powerful psychic attack to force the water-type into the ground. With the air forced out of her lungs, the buizel tried to get to her feet, but she only found herself pinned down once again by the powerful psychic-type. "Why did you run?!"

"I-I got scared," she said timidly.

"Why? I'm sure you know who we are." She slightly nodded. "Then what did you have to be afraid of?" asked Eleanor. Flora trotted over to the small pouch on the sand.

"N-no! Don't!" The shaymin didn't listen, but rather undid the small string holding the bag shut. Inside was the unmistakable shimmer of golden coins.

"Nothing in here but money," she stated to her partner. While it was probably just the water-type's wallet, something still didn't settle well to the cresselia about the whole situation.

"What were you doing in there?" she asked sternly.

"I g-go there all the time," the buizel said in fear. Clearly she was hiding something.

"Wait a second," Flora said. "Aren't you the same buizel from last night? The one that asked the question about the aqueduct repairs?"

"What?" she nervously said. "You've got me mistaken. There are a lot of buizels in the town, you know…" But the grass-type shook her head.

"No, I'm sure of it - I _never_ forget a face." Already Eleanor was beginning to connect the dots. She only prayed that she was wrong; that Liam wouldn't have actually done something like that. But she would find out soon enough.

"One more question," said Eleanor in as intimidating of a voice she could muster. "And I want the truth." The buizel gulped as she stared back at the legendary. "You met with a lucario in there, didn't you?" She sat there completely frozen, clearly conflicted as to whether or not she should answer that question. Her silence was all the answer Eleanor needed. "Forget it. Flora, we're going after him, even if we have to drag him out." She left the dazed buizel to herself and levitated towards the cave. Liam had been clever in how he got into Beach Cave; instead of going through the front, it seemed as though he had entered through one of the various smaller side passages. Doing so had masked his footprints a lot better, and had they not seen the buizel, they would have been searching the woods for him. Once they had gone inside, it became a simple matter of following the buizel's own trail.

"I don't like this place," Flora said with a shiver. The only sound throughout the dark tunnel system was that of the waves cascading into the various eroding rock formations. Everything was damp, sprayed by the salty mist from the intruding sea. Fortunately, both of them could fly, but it still was unsettling. Every once in awhile, a shellos could be seen slithering along the sands, but other than that, they weren't finding what they were looking for.

As the two of them trailed further into the cave, the natural sunlight that had peaked in was cut off, leaving everything pitch black. Eleanor didn't hesitate to create a luminous light using her psychic abilities, and the surrounding area became clear once again.

"I wish I could do that," the shaymin commented. Eleanor ignored the statement, instead focusing on the two upcoming tunnels. She headed towards the one on the right, finding the footsteps continue in that direction. But both tunnels, though taking a winding path, ended at the same dead end. "Flora, you take this side. I'll grab the other."

"There is absolutely no way I'm doing that in the dark," the grass-type stated.

"It's just a little way. We'll both end up at the same spot. The main thing is not to let Liam slip back out."

"Ugh," she groaned, "fine. But you owe me lunch when we get out."

"Whatever. Now hurry! I don't want him getting away!" The two of them each took different tunnels, with Eleanor taking the one on the left. A still stream quietly stretched among the stalagmites on the left side, and it was there that she noticed a new set of footprints. _Yeah… that's him alright…_ But to make matters worse, she saw two lines, one going both to and from the source. It looked like he had retraced his steps and had made a swim for it. He wasn't here. _Great, we missed him._ But she wasn't about to let him off the hook. They already knew enough for a direct confrontation.

The cresselia hurried along her path in an effort to get to Flora. She would just have to wait until tonight. But whenever she saw him… that lucario had better have some answers.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

 _Well it looks like it's about time to get started…_ Truth be told, she was getting a little sick of these nightly meetings. Of course, she understood the necessity of them, but it was getting a little tiring doing them every single night - especially this late. She and Liam would have a half-hour commute back, and some of the others such as Tristan had it even worse. But there was nowhere in town that they could do something like this in secret, and her and Liam's home wasn't exactly big enough for the entire team. Not to mention that practically any other location would be absolutely torturous for Lapras to get to. It just looked like the beach would have to make do.

But on the positive side, it was always amazing to see the scenery. The night sky was always in its most visible state out here without the light of the town interfering. Just a few strides away from the campfire and one could see what seemed like the entire galaxy in all its wonders. That and the fact that this place always brought back a lot of great memories with Liam. Speaking of which…

The lucario had just gotten everyone settled down and circled around the small fire. He took his usual spot between her and Tristan. "Alright, so just to start off, everyone did great today with their individual projects. Heard a lot of good things around the dojo, and all of our public service projects are ahead of schedule. And Tristan - nice work on the campaigning. I noticed that you had quite the crowd in front of you earlier. Didn't even see Kraven out there at all."

"I did my best," the luxray said modestly. "I'm just glad that I've got such a great network of support. You guys really pulled this off for me, and I can't thank you enough for that."

"Not a problem," Liam said. "Now one thing I'd like to mention that we could be doing better…" Selina yawned as the male lucario's voice trailed off. Honestly she felt that Liam was overplaying this whole situation. Sure they may be up against a crook, but with who their team was, the umbreon figured that they had this whole issue in the bag. From what she could tell, everyone else felt that way. And with only five more days until the election, she sincerely doubted that Kraven could manage to have enough of his paid thugs come in to swing things in his favor. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of funding such a feat would require…

She yawned just a little too loudly, unintentionally breaking everyone's train of thought. "S-sorry about that…" she stammered. Rachel grinned, but managed to get things back on pace, continuing with the data she had been collecting. From what Selina could tell, everything seemed to favor them. She placed her head between her paws, gently reclining in front of the warm fire. As she stared through the flames, she noticed that Eleanor was visibly angry about something. But she remained completely silent throughout the meeting, leaving Selina to ponder what might be upsetting her. She hadn't even seen the cresselia look like this ever since the entire incident with Darkrai.

"Well I guess that about sums everything up," Liam said after giving everyone their assignments for tomorrow. He'd have to let the umbreon know later - she hadn't exactly been listening. After he dismissed everyone, it wasn't long before the team started to head their separate ways for the night. Out of the corner of her eye, Selina saw Flora walking over to Tristan's side, while Lapras began his short voyage back towards Brine Cave. As Liam started to put the fire out, the only one left aside from the two of them was Eleanor, still sporting that stern expression from before. _Oh no…_

"Alright Liam," she started, "would you like to start being honest with us?" The lucario looked at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Earlier today you said you were going to get cleaned up. Flora saw you down here right after you spoke with me."

"And? I did get cleaned up. Came out here for a swim. Why are you spying on me?"

"Why are you still lying to me?" she countered. "I know you went into the cave. We caught that buizel that you had met with. She clearly wasn't expecting anyone, so it's obvious that the whole thing was secretive." Selina perked up upon hearing this. Why was he meeting in secret with a someone else? Particularly a girl…

"Look, you probably think you're onto something, but you're not. I came out here for a little while and spoke with Flora, then went back. You're just misinformed." As soon as the words had left his mouth, he was flung violently to the ground.

"Stop lying to me!" Eleanor yelled. Her eyes were beaming brightly, her whole body completely inflamed with the vibrant pink energy. "After everything we've been through, you can't even bother to be straightforward with me?! With the others?! Ever since this whole thing started, you've been acting off, and I finally know why! And you just sit here and deny it?!" He got back onto his feet, glaring daggers back at the cresselia. But she wasn't backing down. Selina just stood there, scared to get involved in any way.

"I don't know what's gotten into you all of a sudden," Liam stated, "but you need to mind your own business."

"This was all your idea!" Eleanor yelled. "You started this whole process, and everyone has worked perfectly as a team _except_ for you! You disappear all the time, sometimes for the whole day! I'm not leaving until I get answers! What are you up to?!" Selina finally mustered the courage to step forward, albeit slowly. Her ears were lowered and she was terrified to intervene, but she couldn't let things continue to go on this way. She didn't want to see her two closest friends break out into a fight.

"Liam… I thought we talked about this… You promised me that you wouldn't do stuff like this without our help…" He had trouble looking her in the eyes upon hearing this. "Tell me… what did you do?" He walked over to the two rocks and took a seat on one of them. His hands rested on his knees as he considered whether or not to speak. "Please Liam… don't keep hiding…" Eventually he spoke.

"I want you two to promise me that everything I say stays right here."

"Why should I? You don't seem to have a problem breaking your word," Eleanor snapped.

"Because if you don't, then I won't tell you shit," Liam responded. "Simple as that. Now do we have a deal?"

"Of course," Selina said.

"Fine," the psychic-type muttered, "now start talking." He took a slight breath. It was clear that he wanted no part in this discussion, or to come forward for that matter. But it was something that he could no longer avoid.

"What I saw in those visions… I can't let it come true. I'm not letting this town sink into darkness when I've got the ability to prevent all of it from happening right now. Kraven wants to ruin this place for his own personal gain. He's trying to maintain the illusion of a legitimate campaign, but ever since he started, he's been crooked in how he's played. I've already spent a quarter of a million paying off the people he's bribed to come in and vote for him."

"Arceus… Liam…" Selina said. It was true that both of them could afford something like that, but a sum of money that large was nearly half a year's worth of his work.

"There's more to it than that," Eleanor said. "The buizel from earlier - you paid her too. She didn't look like some thug that Kraven would have bribed. No, it was much more deliberate than that. She was one of the people that asked a question at that last debate." _What?_ Selina looked over towards Liam, who offered no defense for himself. "You're paying people to ask the right questions. You've rigged the debates…"

"What would you have me do?" Liam asked.

"Oh I don't know? Maybe stay out of it! Tristan has this under control - you made sure that he knew that! And yet you don't seem to actually think that!"

"Be honest with yourself. Tristan never had this under control. If it weren't for you coaching him up and me making sure there were actually questions that he could answer, then Kraven would have successfully stolen this election."

"Well with how you've gone about all this, you seem to know a thing or two about stealing elections," Eleanor snapped.

"I told you that I would make sure that we win at any cost. I've made sure of that. You act like I've done something horrible, when I'm just protecting the town from an absolute monster. Apparently you're too short-sighted to see that."

"Yes! He is a monster! But you don't seem to care what your actions have said about this team! We're supposed to stand for justice, and here you are trying to manipulate politics! You're supposed to be a leader, not whatever you are now!"

"This is the best way for everything to play out," Liam countered. "Almost no one knows what I've done. Only the thugs that aren't even here anymore and a few trustworthy people here and there. Once word comes out about who Kraven really is, then even they will know why I did what I did. But I'm not going to let this town sink into chaos just to maintain some sort of high and mighty image of myself - even if that's what _you_ might do."

"You watch your mouth!" she hissed. _Please Liam… let it go…_ Selina doubted that she could hold the cresselia back if she decided to seriously attack. She wouldn't do that, though… would she?

"Whatever. But the fact stands that I've been willing to do the dirty work that needed to be done without involving any of you. I made the impossible happen: Tristan winning."

"If you were so worried about him losing, why didn't you just run yourself?" Eleanor asked, her spiteful tone still present.

"Because I don't want to. Anyone else could have that job as far as I'm concerned. Anyone but Kraven. He just seemed like the best option out of who I had to pick from."

"So it's a 'protect the town at any costs unless it inconveniences me' type of thing?" the cresselia asked.

"You act like I'm being selfish for wanting to do _one_ thing for myself. Ever since I washed up right over _there_ , nearly every decision I've made has been for the benefit of others. I want to continue my job as a bounty hunter, not sit around all day and run the town. Even then I'm still doing a service. So I'd really appreciate it if you could just back off."

"I just want you to be honest with us," Eleanor said. "But you've been lying this entire time about what you've been up to, not to mention that you are _blatantly_ trying to rig this election. Countering Kraven's bribes is one thing, but paying off people to shift the debates in Tristan's favor? That was wrong."

"Well if you had thought of some other alternative, I'm all ears. I couldn't have just taken Kraven down - it'd have looked like Retribution is trying to—."

"Trying to what? Steal the election? Tell me, what does it look like you're doing now?" Eleanor had a point there.

"I don't care. As long as it doesn't look like the team is doing it," the lucario said.

"You're the leader! Of course it will look like the team's doing it! There's no way out of this hole that you have dug yourself into - that you've dug _us_ into!"

"Once everything's been taken care of, then I'll be straightforward with _everyone_. I'll tell them about every coin spent. But you can't tell me the end won't justify the means. I'm willing to take the hit on this one, so please… just stay out of it…" Maybe Eleanor figured that the matter wasn't worth pressing any further. Liam had already done everything that he'd set out to do, and there was no stopping it now. Selina didn't know how to feel about all of this; all she knew for sure was that she was glad that a fight between the two of them had been avoided. She would hate to have seen the outcome of _that_ …

"You two are my friends, and I care for both of you very deeply. I hate that I had to keep my actions hidden… but I didn't want to involve either of you in this…" For the first time since the ranting had started, Selina spoke up.

"Liam… I told you before: I am your partner. You can trust me with your life. Why do you insist on tending to these matters on your own? Was it because of the money?"

"No… it wasn't just the money. I just didn't want the two of you involved. I could take care of it myself, and I did just that. There wasn't any need to get anyone else into it."

"No," said Eleanor, "what there isn't any need for is for you to try and take on the world by yourself. What would you have done if those thugs had decided to attack?"

"Then I would have dealt with them like I always have."

"You can't fight them all, Liam. One day you're going to have to learn that the hard way," said the cresselia.

"I took on Destiny Tower by myself. I'm pretty sure that a couple of lowlifes would have had no chance against me. None of them ever have."

"I just want you to be well," Eleanor continued, "but you seem absolutely determined to make things difficult for yourself…"

"Yeah, well what's done is done," Liam replied. "Are we finished here?" Eleanor nodded.

"As long as I get your word - and you _actually_ mean it - that you won't ever do something like this again." Liam laughed lightly, but nodded.

"Both of you have my word. I've done everything that I need to do by now anyways."

"Good. You better stick to it this time," the legendary said. She must have realized the time at this point. It wasn't like they'd spent too terribly long in this heated conversation, but two of the three people present would be walking back. They would be arriving noticeably later than usual. "I'll let the two of you go now. And Selina… keep an eye on him…"

"Of course. He can't seem to stay outta trouble unless I do," she said, playfully glaring at her partner.

After the two of them had made their way back home, Selina hopped onto her bed with a sigh. The rest of the week would undoubtedly be busy for the team with the election being so close. She still wasn't sure what to make of Liam's actions, but one thing was for sure: she was glad that conversation was over. She hadn't seen Eleanor that hostile ever since the cresselia had helped the two of them confront Darkrai. It was a miracle that everything had managed to settle down tonight, especially since she hadn't been required to pick sides. Right or wrong, she couldn't bear the thought of having to stand against Liam…

 _He's such a handful,_ she thought to herself. _No wonder Chatot butts heads with him all the time…_ But none of that came as a surprise. Liam, though generally calm and collected, had a mischievous side to him - one that he liked to exercise around that bird. But his meddling in the election had taken all of that to a whole new - and questionable - level.

But she didn't truly know if she could blame him for what he had done. It was clear that Eleanor still harvested some negative feeling towards the lucario for it, but Selina didn't know for certain. _After all, he is trying to prevent Treasure Town from falling into the wrong hands…_ And it wasn't like he had been doing it for his own self interests. _Oh well,_ she concluded, _no use dwelling on it. It's all over now._ She shuffled under the covers a bit more, finding a much warmer position.

Looking over at Liam's bed, she found him to already be asleep. It always humored her how he slept, too: slightly curled up and without making a single noise. She'd seen it countless times before, but it always humored her nonetheless - especially when his left ear occasionally twitched. _Ha, I can only imagine how much of a hard time the others would give him if they saw this._ Seeing such an adorable sight, yet knowing his ferocity on the field, was kind of a conflicting image.

Trying to focus on the task at hand, Selina closed her eyes. They would be up early in the morning, so she'd do best to get as much rest as she could. "Goodnight Liam," she called out instinctively. As she would expect, no answer came from the lucario. She giggled to herself as she drifted off.

— — — — —

 **Kraven**

— — — — —

"They never showed up!" the honchkrow yelled to his associate. Despite his size, the rhydon cringed. "Over four fucking _hundred_ of them, and I've only seen _twelve_! I paid all of them! Where are they all going?!"

"I don't know sir," the rhydon answered. "Not a word about any of it. They just didn't come…"

"I can't be having this," Kraven said, shaking his head. "Not this close to the election." He looked out over the town as it basked in the moonlight. _How the fuck did everything go so wrong?_ Kraven had already been fighting an uphill battle by being a foreigner, especially considering he was campaigning against a member of the team that had saved the planet. And the very leader of that team… just so happened to have significant ties to nearly every single business in town. He'd done his digging around for information, only to find that that lucario had Treasure Town under his foot. With his wealth and reputation, everyone respected him. And Kraven's opponent had received his unwavering support throughout the entire election.

 _And now, a few days prior to the polls opening, I can't find hardly any of my paid voters…_ It wasn't looking like he could salvage this election in any way. Not without resorting to his most risky tactic yet. He had hoped to avoid it; if he was caught, then it would mean a whole new world of trouble. _But I've got no other choice at this point…_

"Juggernaut, make contact with those two officers. Tell them I'm paying whatever it takes."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

 **It's definitely been awhile since I last updated. College right now has me very busy, so that would be the reason why. But I'm going to try to manage my time better so that hopefully I can avoid gaps between updates this large. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Soon after this, there will be an update to _The Reaper_ , so for those of you who read my other story, be sure to be on the lookout for that.**

 **Of course, thanks to Orthros for the proof reading services.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

The lines stretched throughout the town, each and every face illuminated by the large torches aligning the road. There were more officers present than the lucario had ever seen in a single place. In just a few hours, the results would be known. All of their hard work would either have paid off… or the town would be in serious danger. Liam didn't regret the measures he had taken to ensure Treasure Town's survival for one moment, but he did wish that things hadn't come to this. But that wouldn't stop him from doing it all over again if he needed to.

After tonight it would all be over. One more day until they could resume their usual line of work - only this time, they would be one member down. But Tristan had been willing to accept what would become of his victory from the very beginning, and it hadn't swayed him in the slightest. Liam was just secretly glad that it wasn't him. His place was out in the field with Selina.

"I'm not liking the looks of these lines," a voice said from behind Liam. He already knew who it was from the moment he spoke.

"I'm sure they'll go quickly. There's three of 'em, after all," he replied.

"Sure hope so. I have other plans tonight," said Timothy. The noctowl had served as one of Liam's most important assets throughout the campaign, as he had relayed to the lucario just which individuals had been making unwelcome appearances. Had it not been for him, Liam wouldn't have been able to counter-bribe the opposition.

"The young ones again?"

"Yes. They've just about got it down, but it's taking longer than I expected…"

"I'm sure they'll get it soon. I'm not exactly a bird, but it seems like it's a lot harder than learning to walk…"

"One could say that." There was a momentary pause, to which Liam inspected the lines for what had to have been the tenth time. Many of the people present were individuals that he could count on as far as the votes were concerned. But the town had grown large enough to the point where there was no chance that Liam could memorize everyone's names. Most of the others present were complete strangers to him. "Are you feeling well about this whole thing?" the noctowl asked, albeit quietly so that only the lucario could hear.

"Yeah, I think so. I all but own a third of the town, so it's not like we didn't have a safety net of sorts. That and our history here…"

"If everything goes accordingly, it shouldn't even be close. Hoping that it does - that we can keep that monster out." Upon mentioning their opponent, Timothy looked around again to make sure no one was listening in. Even though the line was fairly lengthy, the person behind him was about seven feet away and was focused more on the banners to the side than on anything else. But he spoke in a whisper just to be sure. "Have you gotten everything in order?"

"For the crew?" Liam asked, receiving a nod in response. "Yeah. They're fired up and ready to go."

"Good to hear." The line had progressed enough to the point where the Liam was a few turns away from casting his own ballot. He had already seen what they looked like: the name Damian on the left, and Tristan on the right. There was an option to write in another candidate at the bottom, but those two were the only ones with a realistic chance of winning. Each person would walk into the tent they had lined up behind, and in front of an officer, would place their paw or hand into ink and stamp their candidate of choice.

Throughout the lines were also the other members of Retribution. All but Tristan. The two candidates were not allowed to be anywhere near the polls in order to prevent any sort of pressure being exerted upon the thousands of voters present. Not that they had seen Kraven over the course of the night anyways. Liam's attention shifted towards the situation at hand. _Looks like I'm up…_

— — — — —

 **Eleanor**

— — — — —

Having been one of the first to cast her vote, the legendary kept watch of everything from the skies, hoping to ensure that everything went according to plan and without any more questionable actions. Arceus only knew how sick of those she was. The cresselia could hardly believe the measures that both Kraven and even Liam had taken to ensure the election had gone in their favor - all in the matter of a single month. And even though the lucario had finally provided _some_ answers, she sincerely doubted he was telling the whole story. Odds were there were twenty more underhanded deals made for every one he had admitted to.

 _But I can understand…_ she thought to herself. Their enemy stood for everything that Retribution hated: selfishness, cruelty, and a clear lack of any morals whatsoever. Liam had simply done what he had felt was the lesser of the two evils; rather than sitting back and allowing Kraven to advance, he had undermined him every step of the way, using both his position in the town and his sheer wealth to do so. But she felt sorry for Tristan. The luxray would never be allowed to know that had it not been for all those crooked deals made on behalf of his leader, he would not be holding his own. And she was proud of him for all the progress that he had made, but it still didn't change the fact that he would easily be losing if Liam had not intervened like he had. _I swear… you better never tell him a thing. It would crush his very soul…_ Silence would be the _least_ Liam could offer to make up for all this trickery.

The coolness of the night breeze brought her out of her negative thoughts. With how high up she was, everyone looked to be the size of insects, and the entire town encompassed her vision. Still she was able to recognize the group below. Liam, Selina, and Flora were all off to the side, waiting on the others to finish. The male lucario had taken a seat against one of the town's numerous totems, with Selina reclined back right beside him. _Silly girl. If you don't get it by now, I doubt you ever will…_

But perhaps that was also what made Selina the chosen one to access the Hidden Land. It wasn't the cresselia herself - it wasn't Liam - it was _her._ Selina may have been a tad bit on the naive side, but her heart was more pure than anyone else the legendary had met in all her years. _Never give that up, dear,_ Eleanor thought to herself. Even despite her occupation with Liam as one of the most accomplished bounty hunters in the continent, the umbreon was simply pure of heart. Hopefully she would continue to remain that way.

And as much trouble as he had been lately, Liam had the best intentions too. Once everything was said and done, then they could put all of this behind them. But until the last vote had been counted, Retribution would have to remain alert. And when their opportunity came, Eleanor was certain that they would need to deal with Kraven. Little did she know how soon that opportunity would be.

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

The luxray watched the slow but steady process from a distance. The majority of the people in line had not yet cast their votes, meaning this whole thing could still take hours. The constant pressure in his chest weighed down on him as he paced back and forth. Flora tried in vain to get him to calm down, but the truth was that he was terrified. The future of this town was riding on his success.

"Tristan," the shaymin said, "look here." He glanced in her direction. "It's going to be okay. All of the people I saw around me chose you. You've been backed by the most respected team in the continent, and you're local. What do you have to worry about?"

"There's still a chance, Flora," Tristan spoke up. "I messed up that first time, and he drove me into the dirt."

"But that was then. You more than held your own in the other two debates. I doubt he'll even come close to stopping you." He appreciated her encouraging words, but it still didn't shake that horrible feeling in his gut that something was about to go wrong. Tristan had taken all the preparations, he had studied all the policies, and he had made himself far more public than he would ever have dreamed of before. But that one question still loomed over his head. _Will it all be for nothing?_

If that were the case, then Retribution would have to resort to Plan B - something that they were desperately hoping to avoid. Liam had mentioned it a few times but had not dwelt on the topic, instead shifting his and the others' focus on what they could do to secure control over the town _this_ time around. But if the worst case scenario came true… then Retribution was ready to do what they needed to to keep the town from being exploited and destroyed. He just hoped that it wouldn't have to come to that. There was no doubt in his mind that it wouldn't go over well with the residents of Treasure Town if they forced out a fairly elected official. Then again, he sincerely doubted anything along this process had been fair on their opponent's side - not with his past.

Eleanor glided towards them from the sky, catching both of their attention. He had figured that the cresselia's shift would just about be up by now, to which Flora would replace her in keeping watch over the events below. "You're up," the legendary said to Flora.

"Alright. You try not to worry so much, alright Tristan? We've got this." He nodded, receiving a heartfelt smile from her in response. She took off, leaving him with the psychic-type.

"I've never seen her not be optimistic," Tristan muttered, "no matter what's going on. It can be reckless…"

"Maybe," Eleanor stated, "but it can also be a great benefit to one's own state of mind. I think you would do well for yourself by being a little more so."

"Probably. But I prefer to remain cautious."

"Well I guess that's some of Liam rubbing off on you," Eleanor said. "He's like that. It's how his mind seems to be programed to work. I want him to change, but it doesn't seem like he ever will. You on the other hand… you've just started acting like this - ever since the election started. It will be okay Tristan - you have to believe that."

"I want to believe that," he said, "I swear it. But until that scum has taken his rightful place on the chopping block I refuse to drop my guard."

"I'm not saying to be unrealistic," Eleanor countered. "There absolutely is a chance that he could win. All I'm saying is that you have to have more faith in your friends, but more importantly, in yourself. The others may have helped you on the campaign, but _you_ did this. These people aren't lined up to vote for Liam or me or anyone else. They're here because you resonated with them. Why can't you see the value in your hard work?"

"It… doesn't feel like I did all that much. We all made the policies together, and you helped me review them. Flora made all the propaganda, and Liam secured probably half of my votes with his connections…"

"Maybe so, But it was you that stood up in front of everyone and spoke. And you seem to think that just because you have a team that supports you, that undermines what you yourself have brought to the table. Nobody can do it _all_ on their own - that's why Retribution even exists in the first place. But it still requires a leader, and that's what you've become."

"I just hope that I can be the leader the town needs me to be," he replied.

"Well we will always be right here to support you if you need it. You're never alone. Always remember that."

"You know, you're quite the motivational speaker," Tristan joked, despite his predicament. "Why didn't you run?"

"Being the Advisor is not my place. I'm here to rid the world of darkness - that is my purpose." She looked out over the town, the event having reached its third hour. And still the line stretched across the road and out of sight. Eleanor motioned towards the crowd. "But you are here to protect and take care of _them_. That is your mission."

"Hope I was the right choice then… I can't afford not to be."

"I know you were," she stated. "You just make sure to be the person that you always have been. That's what this town needs." The cresselia sighed. "All those years I was pursuing Darkrai… I got to know him. He wanted a world of darkness, and he was even willing to destroy both the fabrics of time and space to obtain it. He didn't care what kind of misery he would bring on others, or what would become of the planet. As long as he got to rule, Darkrai would have been satisfied." She paused, shaking her head. "It's no different now. Kraven is the exact same in nature. I only pray that we stop him before he gets as close as Darkrai did."

"And if he does? You made your resolution back then - you were willing to do what it took. Are you able to now?" Tristan asked. "That is… if he wins…"

"I… hope not to. I don't want to take the law into my own hands. Liam has said that he will if need be… and I don't like that idea. But if it comes down to it… I will help him. We have to stop him."

"Why do you want to avoid it? He's absolutely despicable. He's a murdering thief that preys upon the innocent."

"Yes… but he is a person, and he is someone's child. Even as he is, Arceus loves him just as much as he does me and you. We need to love even those who are cruel - _especially_ those types of people."

"Maybe. But he can't escape the consequences of what he's done," Tristan replied. "Even if society won't uphold the law."

"That is true. But that does not mean we should seek vengeance. We will fight for what's right, but we will do only what is necessary and nothing more. If you seek to destroy monsters, then you best make sure that you don't become one yourself. Back then… I dreaded with every passing hour what I would need to do in order to stop Darkrai. But I never hated him, despite his sheer evilness. Somewhere deep down there was a person - a scared one at that. I'm sure you would be more sympathetic towards Kraven if you knew more about him. Maybe if things had gone differently over the courses of our lives, any of us could have been in his place."

"But we aren't, and he needs to be taken care of…"

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to show a little compassion. Wouldn't you agree?" He rolled his eyes, but ended up flashing a slight grin.

"Oh, alright. You win. Are you happy now?"

"Elated," she replied with a laugh.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

Finally the end of the lines were in sight, though it might take another hour for those unfortunate individuals. The umbreon was admittedly shocked by how many people had turned out; it had to have been at _least_ three quarters of the town's population - a town whose population was around ten thousand. But then again, the concept of an election was such a new idea to everyone here, so nearly everyone was interested in participating. She actually liked the idea of playing a part in selecting the leader, though she had a few qualms with the way in which they had voted…

Selina had all but dug a small trench in the ground in an effort to remove the long-dried ink from her paw. Not that it was too noticeable, given her color, but it was still a bother. She didn't like anything on her paws. _Oh well…_ she thought. _Guess I'll just have to wait until I bathe tonight…_

It was already very late at night, as evident by the gentle snoring to her left. There was no way that they could leave Marvin alone over the course of the entire day. Lapras had a life too, and wasn't their adoptive child's babysitter. As such, he had tagged along with them and was currently sleeping on Liam's lap. It always humored her to see someone such as him - a person so able to unleash such violence - acting as calm and fatherly as he was.

"Great," Liam murmured.

"What?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah…"

"What?" The umbreon looked out over the dwindling crowd, but wasn't seeing any negative signs.

"My legs fell asleep…" _Ugh._

"Oh no, whatever will we do?" she asked teasingly. "Will the big mean bounty hunter ever be okay?"

"Nope," he stated. "After all this, to be taken out by a child…"

"Tragic." But despite their joking tone, the look of affection for the young manaphy was clear as day on the lucario's face.

"It's weird… A former human, and here I am with an adoptive child that isn't even my own species…"

"At the end of the day… what difference does it make?" asked Selina. "You love him just like I do, right?"

"With everything in me."

"Then leave it at that. Human or not - that shouldn't matter, right?"

"No, it doesn't."

"Good. Not to change the subject or anything…"

"But you're totally going to," Liam added.

"How much longer do we need to be out here?" the dark-type asked. While the voting had not yet concluded, the umbreon couldn't figure out for the life of her why Liam had insisted that they remain here for such a long period of time. The two of them had been stationed here nearly the entire event, and she was ready to go home.

"Until the last person leaves," Liam stated.

"Ugh," she said, shooting him an annoyed glare. "Why?"

"To watch for any signs of tampering."

"With all those police around? Please, let someone try to do anything. I doubt that'd go well."

"Oh it wouldn't. But I wouldn't be surprised if Kraven had tried something at the last minute. Can't be too prepared - not when the whole town is at stake."

"I guess so," she replied.

"On the bright side, we won't ever have to do this again, so that's a plus." She certainly hoped that was the case. This entire process had been nothing short of draining as the entire team contributed all of their time towards it. But from what it looked like, their efforts had definitely paid off. Nearly every business that was sporting any sort of political banner had Tristan's colors.

"Hope so. I'm worn out," she said. They had all been up since very early in the morning in order to take care of all last minute preparations for the election. And though her species was naturally nocturnal, Selina had always abided by the same sleeping schedule as her teammates.

"Tell ya what, you go ahead and head home. I doubt the both of us really need to be out here," Liam said. "Just do me a favor and take him back with you." She wasn't about to argue with that as a yawn threatened to force its way out.

"Alright." She slowly got on her feet and positioned herself so that Liam could easily put Marvin on her back. After he had done so, he immediately stretched out his legs in relief. "I'll see you in the morning Liam."

"Goodnight, Selina," he said with a smile.

— — — — —

 **Brenton**

— — — — —

The breloom had lifted the final satchel full of ballots into the back of the wooden cart, relieved that the task was now finished. There still was a way to go with the others until they reached the station, where all of the votes would be carefully counted.

Brenton had been on the force for about two years now. It hadn't been his first choice in terms of a job, but it covered the costs of living. The grass-type had honestly been looking for a more relaxed job, but until that opportunity came along, he'd need to stay put. Though the force had originally consisted of members of the magnemite line, a great deal of other species had joined them over time. One of which was Brenton's friend Pierce, an absol that had joined shortly after him. Right now, the dark-type wasn't exactly thrilled, being the one pulling the cart. _Not like he's ever happy, anyways…_

With only four hours until sunrise, the officers would need to work quickly to count all of the ballots, which easily exceeded six or seven thousand. Nobody involved was looking forward to that part. Magnezone would be watching everything to ensure that the process went accordingly.

"Fuck this," Pierce said as he came to a halt, gasping heavily. "I didn't sign up to be their fucking pack mule…"

"At ease," Hawthorne, one of the magnemites, said. "We do not have much further." Truth be told, Brenton could understand where Pierce's frustration had come from. The absol hadn't exactly been treated fairly ever since he'd joined the force - a fact that he had definitely made well understood. But nothing seemed to be done about the unjust treatment that Pierce had faced. Even after all this time he was generally left to do the heavy lifting. Brenton felt sorry for him. Yet the breloom couldn't help but feel even more so for Tristan. But the money was hard to turn down, and if they didn't do it, then someone else likely would have.

Once they had approached the station, Pierce freed himself of the constraints of the cart. The two magnemites went forward to unlock the gate, giving them about twenty seconds to do what they needed to do. It would have to be enough. Brenton hurriedly hopped on top of the cart and tossed the bags silently off into the brush, where Pierce had already nudged the three new satchels - identical in appearance - towards his partner. The officer wasted no time in scooping them up and heading back. _I'm sorry…_ he thought to himself as he gently set the bags onto the cart.

Brenton took his spot from before as if nothing had happened. The gate now being open, the two magnemites levitated back towards the cart. "Where is Pierce?" Hawthorne asked. Brenton confusedly looked around, not seeing his friend anywhere.

"Over there!" the other magnemite stated in alarm. Brenton turned around, finding the absol to be right where he had swapped the bags. But he was unconscious. _What the…_ Immediately both of the electric-types created the sharp screeching sound that they used as a form of alarm, signaling the other nearby officers to come. He got in his fighting stance as they all drew closer to investigate. Blood was training down the absol's face, originating from his busted lip. His heart feeling like it was about to leap from his chest, Brenton heard the faint yet rapid sound of light footsteps behind him.

He spun around only to receive an open-palmed strike to the face. As he stepped back, a harsh kick had been launched by the aggressor into the back of his knee, causing for him to lose his footing and land on his back. As the taste of blood filled his mouth, the rest of the fight looked like a blur. The bolts of electricity did not land on their foe, who flipped over each of the wicked strikes and launched a fierce blast from each paw. He tried to stumble to his feet, but he was again too late. An iron thorn was pressed harshly into his throat, and the fear flooded through every fiber of his being. The other officers, having heard the loud noise, had rushed out of the station and surrounded the perpetrator.

"Unless you want his throat slit, I suggest you stay the hell back!" she shouted.

"What is the meaning of this?!" shouted Magnezone. The sheriff almost never displayed aggression on such a level, but the sight of his officer before him on his knees had easily pushed him over the edge.

"You tell me! Your officers just swapped the bags!" she stated. Magnezone made eye contact with the horrified breloom, then looked back at her.

"Do you have any proof of this?"

"Other than the fact that I just watched it happen? Yeah. The other three are right over there." The sheriff motioned for a couple of officers to go check the designated spot, and the breloom found himself immensely regretting agreeing to this action in the first place.

"She's right," one of the magnetons stated.

"How do I know you haven't planned this?" Magnezone asked. "That you didn't bring those bags yourself. You have a vested interest in winning, with your partner being one of the two major candidates."

"Well obviously someone here forged a lot of votes. I thought there might be some sort of interference, so I planned ahead. I marked the top corner of my ballot." Brenton's final hope of getting out of this with his job had just gone to hell.

Magnezone had the police pull out the unconscious absol, as well as the three bags. "There is a change of plans," the sheriff simply stated. "We are going to investigate every single ballot in each bag. If she's right… the two of you are going to pay…"

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

The commotion throughout the town had become more than a little bothersome to the lucario as he sought to get this over with. Nothing was open - no shops or restaurants. Everyone was present for what would likely be a two minute announcement. Yet despite the brief nature of this event, nobody could deny the importance of it for the future of the town. The two candidates stood on opposing sides of the stage, not making much eye contact with one another as they too awaited the news. Tristan tried to hide it, but it was pretty evident to anyone that knew him that the luxray had not slept much the previous night.

Eventually the police arrived, and the crowd fell silent. All that the team had worked for over this past month simply _had_ to have paid off. If not… then Liam was ready for their alternative plan: to take through force what they had failed to gain democratically. Such a move would strike a massive blow to his reputation, but he'd be able to live with that. After all, if the town knew exactly who this person was before them, then they'd be ashamed of the fact that he'd even gotten this far in the electoral process. But they were about to learn.

"I appreciate everyone's patience and cooperation these past few weeks," Magnezone started. "This event was completely unexpected, but it was a necessary process following the passing of the former Advisor. This election was very experimental in nature, but the citizens of Treasure Town have reacted to it very well. We over at the force are very grateful for the civility and maturity that all of you have shown despite the controversial nature of this occasion." The mechanical creature's eyes gazed out amongst the inhabitants of the town, and then back towards the two candidates. "I do not feel like dragging this out any longer than absolutely necessary. I figure that all of you have had your fill of lengthy speeches." That gained a light chuckle from the crowd.

"But before I announce the new Advisor, I want to ask each of you a single question." The two candidates remained focus on the sheriff, each apprehending the following moments. "Tristan, Damian… will you be willing to accept the results of this election, and will you each uphold justice so as long as you hold the position?" The question took Liam by surprise; neither of them could answer 'no' to that question and expect to be seen positively by the public. And if Tristan agreed to that proposition and they _lost_ … then not only the luxray, but also the entire team, would be seen as hypocritical for doing what they were about to do.

"I do," Kraven stated.

"Yeah," Tristan said, as Liam's mind began to swarm with what-ifs, "me too." _There's no backing out now. We will do what we have to do…_

"Good," the magnezone stated. "Now I believe it's time." Liam looked at Selina and Eleanor, receiving a nod of confirmation from the legendary. One of the officers - a flygon - made his way from the others from the side of the crowd towards the center of the town square. He handed the sheriff a small, folded-up piece of paper, before returning to his place. As he did, the male lucario noticed that Rachel was standing among them. _What the hell is she doing over there?_ But he would have to inquire about that later; the crowd was silent as everyone awaited the news.

"The new Advisor," Magnezone stated, "having earned sixty-three percent of the popular vote… is Tristan."

"Yes!" Liam yelled as the crowd broke out into applause. The luxray on stage looked as though he were about to break out into tears of joy, and his beaming expression was well-earned. Selina hugged him tightly.

"This is amazing!" she said, overcome by joy. "We did it!" Liam returned the gesture, and among the celebration, started to shift his focus to his final objective.

"Yeah… but this isn't over yet…" he stated. Kraven remained on stage, maintaining a professional appearance and even going so far as to congratulate Tristan on his victory. _All for show_.

"Oh… yeah…" the umbreon said.

"I will leave you and your allies to take care of that part," Eleanor stated. "But do only what is necessary and not a thing more. We are better than him." The fighting-type nodded, and began to head out of the crowd. Rachel must have seen, as she was at his side before long.

"What were you doing with the officers?" he asked loudly over the thunderous masses.

"Kraven tried to steal the election last night." Liam looked at her in shock.

"Just in one night? How?"

"He paid some crooked cops to falsify a hell of a lot of ballots. I caught them in the act." He shook his head; that had been far too close. Though he had remained vigilant this past month, this time he had been caught with his guard down.

"Thanks. I owe you one." Just to think that after all of this work, one simple action like that would have rendered it all useless. "How did the force react?"

"They were pretty pissed. We have their support in the matter. But they couldn't flat out arrest him in front of everyone like that. It wouldn't look good."

"Guess that explains why Magnezone was acting like nothing was wrong. So then I assume the cops are staying out of it?"

"They know you've got things under control. We just need to get to Kraven before he tries to flee out of town," Rachel said.

"He's being watched at all times. Their telepath will inform me of his next whereabouts. He's not going anywhere."

"Good," the female lucario said. "It's about time he faces justice for his crimes."

"Yeah," Liam said as stopped on the side of the road. He knelt down by the out-of-place bush and reached inside, grabbing the hidden item. His sash. He buckled it around his waist, and immediately felt the power of the Space Globe flowing throughout him. "We're putting an end to this _now_."

"Will you need help?" she asked.

"No. It's looking like it'll be four on two. Maybe three. They don't stand a chance. You join the others in celebration. You've earned it for all that you've done."

"Well… alright then. You be careful, okay?" He nodded.

"It's not my health that you'll have to worry about."

Soon after the two of them had parted ways, the signal had come. Liam heard the voice as clear as day, and he broke out into a run towards the specified area.

— — — — —

 **General**

— — — — —

"What a waste of time and money," Kraven murmured. "The whole fucking thing goes to hell, and I can't rely on _one_ person aside from you."

"We'll worry about that later sir. Right now we need to leave. You take flight and we'll meet up where we said we would." Juggernaut tried to ignore the loudness of the town in the peak of its excitement, but it was a troubling task. "I think we should just count this one among our losses. You can't win them all."

"I wanted this one. I wanted it badly," Kraven murmured. "Much more than that pathetic Retribution puppet. But you're right. We can't waste any more time here. If those two failed, then they may be onto me." The honchkrow took position, ready to escape the site of one of his largest failures yet. But it had been a good learning experience; he needed to be far more hands on in his future endeavors. "I know I pay you a shit ton, but thanks for always being there."

"Not a problem. Now it's best that you get going before—."

"Before you're caught?" Liam stated from behind them. The two criminals squared off against the lucario, who didn't seem to be following suit. Rather, he was very calm and collected, despite being in the presence of two of the most powerful outlaws in the continent. "Nice to see you again, Juggernaut. I get the pleasure of seeing you put away once more."

"You stand no chance of catching him," the rhydon snarled. "And you'll have to go through me first, anyways."

"Wasn't a problem last time. Took me all of three seconds."

"That's all the time we need." Juggernaut looked at Kraven. "Get outta here! Now!" Without warning, the honchkrow propelled himself into the sky. But soon another creature joined him in the air, having remained hidden until the perfect moment. From the orange blur came a scorching blast, and the second it contacted the dark-type, his wings collapsed to his side, causing him to spiral back towards the earth.

Liam ran towards the site of the impact, ducking under a rushed strike from the rhydon. "I'll kill you all for that!" He shouted as he stampeded towards the lucario. He was caught off guard by the brutal front-kick to his unguarded side. He groaned as he rolled over, clutching his aching ribs as the tyranitar began to come closer. He hurriedly staggered back onto his feet, trying to get himself back into the fight. But as strong as the rhydon was, he was completely outmatched against his larger, more experienced foe.

"Don't make me hit you again. Give up before I break you." Juggernaut, ignoring his injured side, charged at his larger opponent, launching a powerful hammer-arm attack. Tyranitar stumbled back as the strike landed in his midsection, but regained his composure nearly as quickly as he had lost it. "Fine…" Tyranitar grunted, "have it your way!" The rhydon followed up immediately, only to find his arm caught before it could land on the larger foe's face. A swift and violent movement, and wicked crack sounded. Juggernaut yelled out in pain as he clutched his snapped forearm.

As Tyranitar subdued the criminal, Liam had begun to close the distance between himself and Kraven, both his paws flaring with aura. "You thought you could get away with it all, didn't you?" he asked the honchkrow. "That you would just march in here and take over, after all you've done…" Charizard landed next to the former human, intent on providing support, but the lucario shook his head. "No… I want to be the one. After what he tried to do to _my_ home… to _my_ friends…"

"Don't overstep your bounds, Liam," Charizard stated, "his sentence is to be carried out back at our continent. Not by you." Nevertheless, the dragon held off.

"That's not going to happen," Kraven stated. "You'll have to kill me if you want to take me back!"

"No," Liam said, "but you're about to wish you were dead." He extended his paw, and before Kraven could take any measures to avoid the attack, the lucario hurled a brutal aura sphere towards him. The criminal was sent rolling, a sight which Liam relished greatly as he ran forth. As Kraven attempted to pick himself up, he was once again at the mercy of Liam's sheer speed. The dark-type's world was turned upside down, and his vision blurred as a result of the swift kick delivered to his head. The taste of blood filling his mouth, Kraven had long since begun to panic. His past actions had caught up with him, and this time, there was no way out.

"Your life of crime has come to an end," Liam stated to the fallen enemy. "I hope the last thing that goes through your mind is all the pain and misery that you've caused others."

"F…fuck… you…" Kraven said, a sickening gurgle coming from his throat.

"You're just lucky that Team ACT has orders for your arrest. If you came from this region, you'd have a kill on sight bounty placed on your head." The lucario planted his foot on Kraven's back, then knelt down and grabbed each of his dark, dirt-covered wings. Liam violently pulled his arms up, snapping both joints clean out of socket. The sounds of his victim's screams were drowned out by him, though, as he stood up and passed off control of the situation to Team ACT.

"Was that really necessary?" Charizard asked.

"He won't be flying away. That makes your job easier."

"We have a fucking cage."

"Oh. Should've mentioned that before."

"You never asked," the fire-type stated in annoyance. But nevertheless, he fulfilled the business end of the bargain. "Here's the bounty for your part in bringing him in." Charizard held a large bag in his extended claws, which Liam took. It would cover nearly half of the expenses that he had gone through to ensure Tristan's victory - a massive sum of cash for the capturing of an outlaw of this caliber. But the money came second to seeing the criminal broken and subdued before him. He would have done that for free any day.

"Alright. I'll leave the rest to your team. All I ask is that you send me word when it's done," Liam stated. He looked back over towards Kraven, knowing fully that this would be the last time he - or anyone else from Treasure Town, for that matter - would ever lay eyes on the honchkrow.

"Fine." The charizard slowly started towards Kraven's heavily breathing form, showing no signs of aggression. There wasn't any need for it at this point. The final member of Team ACT had made his presence known, with a swarm of unfamiliar police officers. Whatever Kraven had done in other lands, it had definitely been significant to warrant such a force. Among the protectors was a set of metal cages.

"It took us six years to find you," Alakazam stated, "but it looks like our little chase has come to an end." The psychic joined his teammate in front of the criminal, looking down upon him with nothing short of disdain. "For someone of your intellect, I would never have expected you to try and live life as a public figure. But perhaps your plan was to hide in plain sight." Charizard carefully lifted the bleeding figure and walked through the crowd, the police parting to make way towards the cage.

His work being done, Liam started off, that former sense of dread now having subsided. Everything was now as it should be. The lucario had to divert his path around the rhydon, who had managed to take an even worse beating than Kraven. Blood was everywhere, but it had been by the criminal's own choice. Liam looked over towards Tyranitar, who looked completely unapologetic. _As he should_.

He left the chaotic scene behind him. Though Treasure Town had narrowly avoided a catastrophe, it was time for everyone to move on. And move on they would. With Kraven out of the picture, Liam looked forward to everything that would be accomplished. Retribution would be able to assume its regular duties, and Tristan would begin his role as the new Advisor. And now the lucario could rest easy, knowing that those horrid visions would never come to pass. The future had been changed forever.

Of course, that left him to uphold his promise. He'd ensured Eleanor that he would come forward to the town, now that the so-called "Damian" had been arrested. Truth be told, Liam wasn't really looking forward to that part, but he knew what to tell and what to leave unspoken. Tristan could never know that the debates had been rigged, and word would never hit the luxray's ears. Liam had only made arrangements with people that he knew he could trust, and as a result he wasn't worried about them speaking out about the pre-planned questions. But he would be bringing up Kraven's past history and the opponent's attempts at bribing voters, as well as what had become of him.

And yet he'd have to be careful about how he disclosed that information as well. He didn't want to shift blame solely towards the dark-types, even though that particular group had been the majority of those that the criminal had bribed. But given who he was, Liam was confident that everyone would understand - and likely show great appreciation for what he had done. His actions had not been influenced by greed, or a desire for control; he personally had little to gain from Tristan's victory aside from peace of mind. The lucario's daily life would be the same as it had been these past years, and he would pay the exact same percentage into the Guild.

As he entered into the outskirts of town once again, he stopped in front of the four-way intersection. Propaganda for the two major candidates - and that of many of the smaller, more obsolete ones - still was stationed everywhere. He stood in front of the large black and red feather on one of the larger banners. He disliked the very sight of it, but it would make for a nice keepsake of this whole endeavor. And Arceus only knew how many spare banners for their own side were sitting within Liam and Selina's house at the time…

He took the supporting pole from the ground and carefully removed the banner from it. Folding it up, Liam tucked it underneath his arm and headed back towards the others, his thoughts being those of the uncertain, but undoubtedly positive, future that was in store for Treasure Town.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:**

 **Another update to the story, and one that begins to show the aftermath of the election. As always, if you would like to voice your thoughts about the chapter, feel free to do so in the review section.**

 **Thanks to Orthros for editing this chapter as always.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

A month had passed, and the atmosphere of the town had changed completely. Treasure Town had removed all traces of the prior campaigning and had settled under its new Advisor. Tristan, with input from the rest of the team, had made a very wise decision in taking the advice of the elders that had worked alongside Torkoal, and they served as a constant voice of reason for the younger feline. After all, some of them had been around over four times longer than him, and their experience proved to be an invaluable resource.

But the luxray was admittedly caught off guard by the change in his occupation. Such a difference had been expected by him, but it would take some getting used to. He would always miss the days of hunting down outlaws with the others, and the sheer excitement that came with it. But now he had a new, arguably more important mission. The others in Retribution undoubtedly would be able to handle the criminals they pursued without him; his goal was to keep society safe locally.

And he had done just that. This past month had made him exhausted, and things were just now starting to ease up. _I guess that's what happens after a transition of power,_ he thought. The first law that had to be enacted was to establish a general taxation law, and after a great deal of debate with the elders, a slight change had been introduced to Tristan's plans. He had initially set out to establish a flat tax for everyone within the town along the lines of ten percent of everyone's monthly income. But upon careful speculation, it was revealed that such a policy would not sustain the town, so the higher earners needed to pay slightly more. It was then decided that rescue teams would contribute a quarter of their earnings, and the improvised model would allow for the town to remain on pace for the desired rate of expansion and its own provisions.

Next had come the farms, one of Tristan's main focusing points in his campaign. The electric-type had stressed the need for a fully self-sustaining Treasure Town, and agriculture was always where that started. So after a relatively large investment - one that was paid for by most of the town's revenue for the month - Tristan had ordered for the clearing of more land in order to expand the boundaries of their current farms, which would nearly double in size. More workers were hired to tend to the fields, and with the guaranteed growth, an increased variety of both fruits and vegetables could be planted. Not everything had gone completely as expected, though.

Tristan still couldn't believe what all had occurred in the shadows of the past election. Liam had called for a town meeting and had told of various misdeeds on the part of their opponent. The lucario had even admitted to countering Kraven's bribes throughout the campaign, and of undermining him every step of the way. The town was of course shocked to hear all of this; about one out of every three of them, according to the numbers, had voted for the dark-type. But what was even more upsetting for them to hear was of Kraven's history of crookedness. By the time Liam had notified them of everything, he had been sent back word that the dark-type's sentence had been carried out a mere week after his capture. _And good riddance, too,_ Tristan thought. He had no respect for someone like that, and it would be years before the effects of Kraven's actions against the people of several regions had been fully undone. But that was a matter for relief groups and for the police. His job was right here at all times.

Their opposition to the honchkrow aside, though, Retribution held no ill-will towards those who had voted for him. As a hardened criminal, it was in his nature to be deceitful and misleading. And after everything had been said and done, with as well known a team as ACT, there was no doubt that Kraven had gotten what he had coming. But that sure didn't stop Tristan from wishing that he'd been able to put a jolt or two into the criminal before his execution. _Oh well. Nothing that can be done about it now._

Without concern for the wellbeing of the town or its leader, things had returned mostly to normal. Flora had gone and retrieved the members of Team AWD from the Shaymin Village, and now they were to carry out the rest of their parole as planned. Or what was left of it, anyways. He would never forget the look on her face upon receiving the confirmation that the person who had tormented them and so many others in the past could never do so again, and the dreaded premonitions of Liam's would never come to pass.

But with his recollections aside, Tristan had a few more things to tend to before he could call it a day. The carefully reconstructed stream that intertwined among the countless houses around town was nearing its finishing touches, and in order to get it up and running by two days' time - the scheduled time of completion - it would have to be all hands on deck. Thankfully the rest of the team had volunteered their time for the task.

"Is everything well?" asked Selina as they headed there. The umbreon had met with him halfway and had decided to walk to the site with the luxray.

"Yes, more than well," he chuckled. "This town is thriving. We will be more successful than Obsidian ever hoped to be."

"It's not a competition," she laughed.

"No, it's not. But this town… no, this _city_ , will stretch out as far as the eye can see. We've already laid out the plans for construction. By the end of the year it will have grown in size three times over."

"Oh my, that sounds… well, _big_ ," Selina replied. "Are you sure we'll have the money for that?"

"And then some left over."

"Wow. The Guild wasn't really running things well it seems…" she stated.

"No, they really weren't. And Torkoal had always been at odds with them. The Guild seemed to operate under the idea that by just throwing more of someone else's money at the issue, it could be fixed. They weren't ever taking steps to ensure the growth of the town. They just kept it alive. With our current rate of growth, that was going to lead to a disaster before long. But luckily for Treasure Town, the Guild doesn't have a say in things anymore."

"They don't?"

"No. I've removed the Guild from having anything to do with public spending. They've proven their incompetence. And I doubt a group of explorers ever had business in managing public affairs in the first place," Tristan stated.

"I guess so. It just seems… weird," she said. "I mean they've been doing that ever since I've been here."

"Change is happening in this town, and it's all been for the better." The two of them reached the site of the digging, where over a dozen others were going about transporting materials and clearing out the last twenty or so feet towards the dammed-off stream. Liam had the shovel over his shoulder, taking a break from all the digging. By the looks of it, he needed one, with dirt covering every corner of his body. "You look like you've been busy," Tristan said.

"You could say that. Gotta clear everything so they can begin laying the stone and mortar. It'll take about a day and a half to harden, so we're pushing it."

"I think we should be on time," Tristan replied. "What do you think, Selina?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, I think so too."

"It's definitely an engineering feat for the community," the luxray added. "No more placing homes strategically around the waterways. Now we control where it flows."

"Definitely convenient," said Liam. "Selina and I definitely lucked into one in our house, but others haven't been so fortunate."

"No," Tristan said, "I suppose not." Tristan hopped down into the trench with the other workers, preparing himself to assist in the construction. Eleanor had given him good advice in saying that he would do well for himself to continue performing public services like this, even after the campaign. It would show the residents that he was dedicated to Treasure Town, even when he had nothing to gain from it. _Well… maybe reputation…_ But it wasn't like he was lacking in that regard. The people loved Retribution.

Liam, seemingly having felt rested up enough, joined him in the channel. "Alright, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we get to go home."

— — — — —

 **Flora**

— — — — —

Tending to the fields over the last couple of days had been tiring to say the very least, but Flora loved it all nonetheless. Seeing the dozens upon dozens of grass-types nourish all the plant life was a welcome sight, and the planting of acres full of nothing but berry bushes would be a treat for the town.

Truth be told, things were looking bright with Tristan in charge, and she was happy to see his talents be recognized by all. Though maybe not so in the past, he had proven himself to be a capable leader throughout his campaign and his time in charge. But perhaps even more so than that, he had proven himself more than capable to the shaymin.

Flora had been uncertain when she had made the move that she had, but looking back, she felt that there was nothing to lose and that she may as well try. It was one of those things where she had waited for the right moment - one that had never arrived. So she acted on a whim and had gone for it, and it had turned out better than expected. _I wonder if he thinks about that night…_ she thought. Hopefully he did. Flora hadn't really heard much from the luxray ever since then. And that was understandable; he was a busy guy. _I hope he does…_ Flora would love the chance to make something more of it.

He just had all of the qualities that she sought in a mate, and many females would not halt at the chance to have him. Tristan was both ferocious and protective, yet was a very soft-spoken person after the battle had been fought. And despite his attempt to maintain a tough demeanor, she saw him for the kind and compassionate person that he was.

It was getting more difficult to see, as the sun had nearly set behind the woods. Most of the other grass-types were heading back, ready to call it a day. _About time I do the same thing._ She hurried up and buried the last berry from the small satchel she was carrying and took off. Everything beneath her grew distant as she headed back to her residence.

Though this wasn't her typical line of work, Flora had been happy to volunteer at the farm. With Tristan in charge, there was a lot to get down now as the town prepared to tackle its largest series of projects yet. And she was glad to be a part of all of it. One thing that did sadden her, though, was the fact that she would be seeing less of him. His job was now constantly around town, while hers was still out in the field. _Oh well,_ she thought. _Nothing we can do about that. We all accepted it from the beginning…_ And besides, who said she couldn't still visit him when she was in town?

She had been contemplating settling down for good before long, anyways. Maybe open up a little flower shop towards the corner of the the main street. Of course, she did enjoy her current line of work, but that still didn't shake the desire to settle down somewhere and perhaps one day start working on a family. But those were matters for another time. For now, Flora would focus on doing what she could to help improve Treasure Town.

— — — — —

 **Rachel**

— — — — —

It had been a long, yet entertaining night for the members of Retribution. After drinking perhaps a tad bit more than they should have over at the café, they all set out towards the beach. This time, though, it was not for some nightly meeting in order to protect the town; this time it was solely for relaxation. Tristan had even tagged along, carving some time out of his now busy schedule to hang out with them. Everything hadn't gone perfectly according to plan, but then again, there wasn't much of a plan tonight. Rachel had to admit, though, a tipsy shaymin was a hysterical sight to see.

"So what's on the agenda now?" asked Selina.

"We get back to Retribution's main line of work," Liam replied. "That and be here to help Tristan whenever he needs."

"Careful now, I might have to take you up on that offer. I need all the help I can get," the luxray said with a chuckle.

"You know we're always right here when you need us. That is, when we aren't out in the field," Liam said. "Not gonna lie, kinda looking forward to it. It's been two months since I had a good fight. All I've been focused on lately is the town, so it'll be nice to really get active again."

"That reminds me," Rachel stated, "you and I have not sparred yet."

"Sparred?" Liam asked. "You say that like it's an expected behavior."

"Yes. I'm actually surprised you haven't brought it up… But then again, you were a human. You probably don't know the ways of our species at all."

"No," he admitted, "I can't say I do."

"Is it a big deal to you all?" Selina asked.

"One could say that. It's like a way of life for us…"

"But I'm not really a lucario," Liam said. "Not when you get down to it. My mind is still human."

"Well are you getting turned back into one?" asked Rachel. "You at least have the body of one of us. Wouldn't you at least be interested in learning our ways?"

"Might be interesting. But I've done pretty well just being myself. Why would I want to change that?" he asked. Rachel shook her head; he was missing the point of this completely.

"No, I'm not saying you shouldn't be yourself. I'm just saying that since you are technically one of us, maybe you should consider learning more _about_ us."

"Alright, alright, fine," he relented. "Tell me why this is such a big deal." The others listened in on the conversation as well with interest.

"Well I'll admit it's been awhile. Keep in mind that I've been on my own for years. But I remember very well what life was like back at our place. Everything was based on honor and respect, and strength was just something that everyone continuously sought to build up. Sparring was what everyone did to hone their skills and pass the time. Even older lucarios wouldn't hesitate to fight."

"Seems reckless to me," Tristan said.

"Not really. Our species has a much higher pain tolerance than others, and we can take far more than what our size would suggest."

"So you want to spar then?" Liam asked. "Is that what you're after?"

"If you would be up for it," Rachel replied. He looked to his side, and Selina just nodded with a smile. Everyone seemed amused by the proposition, as it would surely be entertaining.

"Okay. Let's do it." The male lucario hopped onto his feet and removed the sash from his waist. He had every intention of keeping it a fair fight. "What are the rules?"

"Not many. No shots to the face or groin. No biting or scratching; really anything that would be cheap. I feel like it's pretty self-explanatory. No grappling or stuff of the sort - this isn't wrestling. So the first one to hit the ground loses."

"So punch the other person in the gut to the point where they hit the dirt? Almost seems less brutal to knock them in the head and get it over with…"

"Usually ends with a leg sweep or some sort or flip from my experience."

"Come on," Tristan said, "I think that's enough for the rules. I wanna see the two of you go at it now."

"Well then, are you ready?" Liam nodded, then got into what she assumed his fighting stance was. But it looked unlike anything she had ever seen before. "…What are you doing?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I mean that stance - what on earth is it?" Liam simply shrugged.

"I don't know. I've always done it that way, and it works pretty well…"

"…Alright then." Rachel got into her own stance - left arm extended, right arm back. She led with her left leg; any strikes to her front would be harder to land due to her posture. But Liam, while slightly leading with his left side, had both paws positioned in front of his face. _We aren't supposed to be going for face shots, though…_ Maybe the point of the exercise was escaping him altogether, in which point it should be easier to take him down. But this was also the same Liam that had fought off both Primal Dialga and Darkrai; underestimating him would be dangerous.

She threw the first punch, and Liam simply used his own right arm to deflect the blow. Immediately his left paw had been thrust forth and harshly contacted her shoulder.

"Ohhh," Tristan said, "looks like he got you there."

"Cool it. This is far from over," Rachel replied. Of course she had to admit that Liam had been significantly faster than what she had expected. But she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. The two lucarios squared off once again, and Rachel could feel her heart pounding in anticipation as she watched his every movement. Liam quickly closed the distance between the two of them with a forward strike, which she blocked. It lacked force, and she guarded her other side the moment she realized it had been but a distraction. Catching Liam's other hand, she pivoted and swiftly responded with a side kick into his stomach. The blow sent him backwards, but he quickly regained his balance.

"Not bad," Liam stated flatly. She subtly smiled as a result of his reluctant compliment, before refocusing her attention on the match. There was no way she was allowing herself to lose this.

In the rush of the next series of movement, Rachel lost track of who had done what. As she fixated on the other lucario's features, the two of them engaged in a brutal dance. His footwork - or lack thereof - followed a set pattern, and as she assumed a defensive stance time and time again, she waited for her opportunity. Finally she found it when Liam had thrown his weight forward in the form of a shove. Rachel guarded her left side as she quickly dodged, leaving her left foot in his way and using her right paw to shove him forward, causing him to nearly lose his footing as he attempted to avoid hitting the ground. But there was nothing he could do as she sprinted towards him and kicked the back of his knee.

"Oh Liam… I'm never gonna let you live that one down!" Selina said, trying to stifle her laughter. The others seemed similarly amused, all except for Flora, who had long since passed out.

"Shit," Liam mumbled, having taken a blow to his pride, but smiling nonetheless. "Oh well. Great match."

"Of course," Rachel said, offering him her hand. "It may very well have ended in the first few seconds had it been a real fight. But that aside, I feel like you have greatly crippled yourself."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he attempted to brush the sand off of his fur.

"How long have you had that thing?" she asked, pointing towards the Space Globe.

"About a year and a half now," he replied, already knowing where this was going.

"I know what it does. It's a highly valuable relic of ancient times, and it fills its wearer with unrivaled strength. And you wear it every single day. You rely on the strength it provides, and on your own. You hit harder than anyone else I've ever sparred with, and I appreciate you not letting up on account of me being female. But you have forsaken technique in favor of raw strength. That's why you lost."

"I know," he admitted. "I need to improve at it. But the Space Globe has helped us time and time again on our missions. And it's hard not to wear it when it strengthens me as much as it does."

"I can understand that. Perhaps we should spar more often. I'm sure we can learn from each other's fighting styles. You have a unique manner of attacking, and if you can hone it, I would imagine it being very threatening, even without the Space Globe."

"That sounds good to me," he replied. Though she kept the thoughts to herself, Rachel was completely taken with his demeanor. She had just defeated a person who had saved the world twice - in front of his closest friends nonetheless - and this was his reaction. It was clear that he hated the fact that he lost, but he showed no signs of irritation with her, but rather he had taken well to criticism and looked at it as a learning opportunity. _That is a true leader for you. One that can accept a loss and learn from it._ But next time they went at it, she would need to be careful. Odds were that he would refrain from making the same mistakes.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

"She got you _good_ ," Selina said at their place.

"I know, I know. You've only said it a couple hundred times now." The umbreon had meant it when she said that she wouldn't let him forget about his loss. And she had managed to sound so excited about it, too.

"Yeah but I've never seen you lose a fight - not like that! She just went behind you and then _boom_!" the umbreon said, running her head into his leg for emphasis. "You ate dirt!"

"Arceus Selina, I know. I felt it." That said, he was finding humor in it all. "I'll just have to get better."

"Mhm. Good thing that wasn't an outlaw - I would've had to step in and rescue you!"

"Yep. And I'm sure you'd be too busy laughing your ass off to fight," he said with a chuckle. Liam held the sash in his hand, looking at the treasure interwoven into the leather. Rachel was right; he based most of his strategy on his moves being able to end a fight in seconds - all due to the power of the Space Globe. He'd never thought about it until now, but there was no denying the fact.

"Oh cheer up," she said, interpreting his silence as sadness, "you know I'm only teasing you. You know I'd kill someone before I let them hurt you."

"No, it's not that," Liam replied. "She was right, you know. I've become careless by relying too much on this damn thing."

"Maybe. But I prefer you having it. It's always fun watching the criminals go down in one shot."

"I do too. But I need to train more without it. I shouldn't be using this thing as a crutch, but that's what it looks like it's become to me." He was looking at the picture of the two of them over the mantle - their two pre-evolved forms. It had been nearly three years since that picture had been made - since they had finished the fight against Darkrai. "Looking back… and with how much stronger we've grown… I can hardly believe that we were able to do it back then…"

"I bet it's because I was with you the whole time," Selina joked.

"I'm sure," he replied.

"Anyways, I think I could go for a snack right about now…"

"Really? But we just ate."

"Yeah, like two hours ago. And watching you get your butt kicked made me get an appetite again."

"Of course it did," he said, rolling his eyes. "Well I doubt many places are open at this time. We still have some leppa berries if you'd like."

"Eh, sure. That works." The umbreon headed over to the small, chilly stream that pooled in the corner of their house and reached into the cold water. They always kept a small series of jars there to keep different foods cool in order to preserve them longer. She used her front two paws and withdrew the jar of interest. "Umm… A little help?"

"Ugh, you quadrupeds. Always so helpless when it comes to… well, anything really…"

"Well it's not my fault that we don't have arms. Now open the jar!" He grabbed it and did as he was told before taking it over to the table. Selina hopped onto her seat as he set two stone slabs on both sides, putting a couple of the fruits on each. The umbreon gently began to nibble at the berry while he carelessly bit into his.

"Only a few weeks now," he said.

"Hmm?" she asked, before swallowing. "Oh, you mean until the trip?"

"Yeah. Still up for it this time around? Got kinda rough last year."

"Of course. Not gonna stop our annual trip just because of a little bad weather," Selina replied. "Wonder how he's doing…"

"Dialga?" Liam asked, receiving a nod in response." I'm sure he's fine. Probably has everything sorted out by now. With Temporal Tower's reconstruction complete, he has more time to devote to… well… keeping time itself intact."

"Probably," she said. "It's always nice to go visit. I can't wait to see him again."

"Yeah. Kinda crazy how he was intent on killing us all those years ago," he said with a laugh.

"You know just as well as I do that wasn't him. Not our Dialga, anyways. I'm just glad we were able to put a stop to it before he lost all control."

"That makes two of us." He looked out at the night sky, across the sea where the Hidden Land awaited them once again. "I was scared that day. Terrified. Not just because of him, either. I didn't wanna leave you, but yet I had to." He almost wished he could recall those words, which had been uttered in absentmindedness. Selina generally hated even talking about that topic.

"I… understand why you had to. But that doesn't mean I was okay with it. You made the right choice in doing what you did… but you should've told me. I wasn't ready for something like that…"

"You never could have been. I wasn't ready for it either. I had to stop Dialga, even if it meant being erased from existence in the process…"

"Yeah, but… _my_ Liam can't go disappearing on me like that. You barely even had time to say goodbye before you vanished," Selina stated.

"And that was something that haunted me afterwards. There was so much more I wanted to tell you. So many other things to say, and before I knew it, it was too late." She looked at him, having completely disregarded the berries on her plate.

"What was it like? When you were gone?" Liam thought back to the time that he had been away - it had been a period of months before he had returned.

"I don't fully remember. Almost like I was asleep. I can't understand it - I should have been dead. But I didn't pass on to the afterlife. I just… kinda floated in a void. I think deep down, some part of me knew that I wasn't fated to die just yet. I'm glad Dialga was able to pull me back from… well, wherever I was… and give me another chance with you."

"Me too," she replied. "I was… getting pretty bad before you showed up again…"

"So I've been told."

"But none of that matters now. You're back, and this time, you're staying for good. You don't have a choice in the matter this time!"

"Oh? I'm not allowed to go dying on you again?"

"Nope. Not at all," she said with a smirk. _Damn she's cute when she does that…_

"Alright then. Hopefully I'll be able to comply," he said.

"Yeah, you'd better." The umbreon had finished her berries, and Liam his, so he grabbed the two stone slates and bought them towards the stream for washing. "Anyways, all that miserable stuff aside, aren't you excited about going on missions again? It'll be nice getting outside of this place after two months."

"Agreed. Gonna be kinda weird without Tristan though."

"True," she admitted, "but I know he's where he needs to be. What do you say that we head out with Eleanor tomorrow? Maybe the other two could tag along as well."

"I think that sounds great. I'll get everything packed up tonight, and we can look to see if there are any jobs at the guild." Speaking of which, Liam would need to get used to the change in their payments. Now the guild had no say in how much was paid and where the money went; everything would be run through the city. And that was for the best - Chatot and Wigglytuff lacked the qualifications to be handling the finances that would drive the entire town. Just because that was the way things had always been done did not make it right. The elders being in control of things was far more reassuring to the lucario. "Say, do you still wanna pay ninety percent like we always have?"

"I don't see why not," Selina replied. "For smaller teams I get it. A quarter is fine for them. But you and me… we've got enough between the two of us to buy half the land in town, not to mention whatever it is you have with all those businesses… Money just isn't an issue. But for a lot of people in town - good, hardworking people - they could use that money. I'll still stick with ninety, because I know it's going to a good cause."

"Yeah, me too. I just wanted to hear your thoughts on it."

Once Liam had finished washing off the two plates, he noticed Selina was positioned towards the edge of the cave, looking out over the sea.

The thin, crescent moon hung in the sky as the gentle tide rolled throughout the distance. As she looked at the scenery, the yellow rings on her dark body had begun to faintly glow, illuminating the space around her. Liam took a seat beside the dark-type.

"You know," he began, "I find it really neat how your body does that…"

"You mean the glowing?" He nodded. "Yeah, it is pretty cool. Helps in the caves," she laughed.

"It does. But it seems like every pokémon has its own incredibly unique anatomy. I just wonder what mine looked like before all this… "

"Yeah, I've always kinda wondered that about you too," Selina said. "Do you remember anything? Like at all?" He thought back, but most of it was just a haze. Foggy memories here and there, but never one about his own appearance.

"No. I don't know a thing, aside from the fact that whatever my species was, it was bipedal and it was tall."

"Like how tall? I mean to some pokémon, we're pretty tall."

"Well in the little bit that I can recall, Grovyle was about half my height, if that says anything."

"Oh wow, you weren't kidding," she said. "I'd have loved to have seen you back then. I just wonder how you fought as a human. According to legend… your species lacked any powers whatsoever…"

"Yeah. Probably why they're nearly extinct. I guess we just found a way. Hell, maybe I was good with iron thorns," he laughed. "Eh, maybe. Surprised that I managed to survive as long as I did. Just hope that I wasn't too much of a burden to the others."

"Well I'm sure you weren't. It is kinda funny though," she added. "All of a sudden you're one of the most powerful people in the continent, even without your so-called 'crutch.'"

"Yeah, well I've had a pretty good team the whole way to support me," he said. "From the very beginning, we were always there to support each other - to build each other up. Now we own one of the most powerful teams in the world."

"I would never have believed us capable of something like that all those years ago," Selina admitted. "With me being scared of my own shadow and all…"

"But you became a true leader. And I certainly wasn't the one to be entrusted with the key to the Hidden Land. That required someone completely pure of heart."

"Liam… you're pure of heart…"

"Everyone likes to think they are. But at the end of the day… I did just steal an election. Granted Kraven deserved to have it stolen, but still…" Selina couldn't really come up with a response for that. After all, he was right. Even having a moral goal in mind, Liam had still committed a necessary evil. "I need you, Selina, to be my moral guide. I don't know why… but you can always get through to me."

"Of course, Liam." She looked at him with that sincere smile of hers - one that made him know she would always have his back. Liam placed his paw on her shoulder appreciatively, and his eyes met hers. In that moment, he acted without thinking, doing what he felt was best for the situation. He drew her close and embraced her. He knew not what made him do it, but the lucario couldn't help but feel that it had been the right course of action, especially upon feeling her return the affectionate gesture. She rested her head on his shoulder as they remained there like that.

Gestures of the sort were really common between the two of them. It had always been like that, and it was the way they preferred things. But even with all those times past, Liam could not help but feel that this time it was different. His chest felt warm as the umbreon held him. "You could let go now," she whispered jokingly. "Or I guess we could just stay here like this…"

"That works for me," he replied.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**

 **Not too big of a chapter here, but a very important one nonetheless. Hope you all enjoy. And remember, for those of you who leave a review, you are eligible for one-shot requests.**

 **Thanks to Orthros for beta-reading this chapter. Caught a really weird mistake where some paragraphs had merged into some ugly mess.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

As the morning fog began to lift from Serenity River, the five members of Retribution strolled along the shoreline, looking for any signs of their rescue target who had last been seen in the area about a week ago. Poor Liam, though, was certainly outnumbered. With Lapras restricted to larger, connected bodies of water, and Marvin being as young as he was, Liam was now really the only male that could go on most missions with the others. And it looked like every other female member of the team had the morning free today…

"I cannot believe this furret has managed to get himself lost again," Eleanor stated. "Flora and I have already rescued him from this place before."

"Must be a glutton for punishment then," Liam replied. "Guess we should just turn around and forget about this whole thing."

"Haha, very funny," the cresselia replied sarcastically. "Of course, if he'd gotten lost out here a dozen times, you wouldn't have the heart to say no to the rescue request."

"You don't think so?" Liam asked.

"Oh I know so."

As the two of them playfully bantered back and forth, Rachel led the way, staying mostly focused on the task at hand. Selina and Flora paced behind the others, with the shaymin occasionally laughing as a result of her teammates' silliness. The umbreon treaded in the shallow water, enjoying the cool tide impacting her feet.

"He's quite a character," Flora whispered, referring to Liam.

"Yeah, I know. Quite a handful too," the umbreon replied.

"Oh I know. It makes him more fun, don't you think? I never know what on Earth he's about to do."

"That makes two of us," Selina said.

"That was what kept going through my head back when I first met the two of you. He's always been fun to be around, but I can't for the life of me understand him."

"What do you mean?"

"He can just flip on a whim. One minute he'd be doing some public deed without looking for recognition, then the next he'd be paying someone off to rig the debates. He can go from that playful, sweet act to downright nasty, then back again…"

"Yeah but only when it comes to criminals," Selina stated. "And he's conditioned to those types of people. He's never so much as looked at me the wrong way…"

"Well of course he'd never show _you_ his bad side."

"Have you seen it then?" the dark-type inquired. The two of them paid mind to keep their voices down, and checked to make sure their words were between them only.

"No, not really, not aside from all that underhanded business," Flora said. "But I'm just saying that if he had a bad side, then he'd make sure never to show it to you, hence why he was sneaking around so much during the election under our noses. And he didn't seem pissed at all when Eleanor confronted him, but all you had to do was ask sweetly for him to tell, and you had him spilling everything. Admit it, you've got that lucario wrapped around your paw." Selina hadn't thought about it like that at all.

"But I would never consider manipulating Liam…" Even thinking of such a thing sickened her.

"Oh no, I'm not saying you would. I'm just…" Her eyes darted forth once more, before her voice assumed an even quieter whisper. "Liam absolutely adores you. He'd do anything for you." Of course, she knew that. But hearing someone else that knew the two of them say it, Selina couldn't help but blush at the implications. At least her dark fur hid any outward signs of embarrassment. "I'm jealous though," Flora added. "I wish I had a guy that felt the same way about me. I've been trying with Tristan, but… he hasn't really reciprocated."

"Wait… you think that… Liam has _those_ kinds of feelings for me?"

"You're kidding, right?" Selina had come to a halt, simply staring back at the shaymin.

"N-no…"

"Arceus Selina, you can't really expect me to believe you haven't picked that up by now…" Flora seemed completely unhumored by the topic at hand. Meanwhile, the umbreon didn't know what to make of any of this. Surely Flora would never seek to mislead her…

"But… what makes you think that?" she asked.

"Well let's see… the way he lights up when you're around is a pretty good start. And you two share a house. Or how about the fact that you two are practically fondling each other all the time?"

"W-what?! We have never done anything of the sort!"

"Oh, you two aren't always as secretive as you think. I've seen the way you two hug, and it's not the way that friends do."

"Liam and I have always had a great relationship. We've been to hell and back together. Of course we have a very intimate bond. But that doesn't mean anything of that nature has gone on!" Selina said.

"Not yet. But my guess is that it will."

"N-no. Liam and I aren't like that…"

"Mhm. You just keep telling yourself that. But don't be surprised when you find the two of you locked together, if ya know what I mean." Selina splashed water in her friend's face, but only received a series of high-pitched laughs in response. "Stop it," she said through her giggles, "you know it's true!"

"You're messed up!" the dark-type said in embarrassment. Thank Arceus that Liam and the others were out of hearing range. Selina couldn't even imagine trying to get her way out of a situation like that. Then again, Liam would be equally as humiliated.

"Mmm, alright."

"I'm serious! I better not hear that you went and put these kinds of ideas in the others' heads!"

"I don't _need_ to," Flora countered. "Everyone that knows you two is thinking the same thing."

"Well then they're all wrong - and you are too! Liam is my best friend, but our relationship isn't that kind…"

"Alright, alright, I'll drop it."

"Good," Selina said, before changing the subject. "Now about you and Eleanor…"

"Hmm? What about us?" the shaymin inquired, thankfully not pressing the issue any further.

"Now that the election's over, will the two of you resume rescue missions?" asked Selina.

"Of course. Though I may end up taking a trip back home before long. It's been awhile since I've seen everyone, and I'm sure they'd all love to see you guys."

"That would be nice. Shaymin Village was beautiful last time I saw it."

"What about you?" Flora inquired. "What are your plans now?"

"I guess for me, everything will go back to the way it was before. Maybe Rachel will take Tristan's place with Liam and I. There are always criminals out there, and it would be nice to have the extra help." And knowing what Rachel was capable of, that extra help would be a tremendous one at that.

"Right." Flora looked ahead of them, where Liam and the others conversed about a hundred feet ahead of them. "One thing I did want to ask you, though - about Liam."

"Please," Selina said, "don't—."

"No no no, nothing like that. I'm just wondering… what have _his_ plans been? Surely he must have something in mind for getting back to the future. Then again, that's assuming that the future he came from still exists…" Flora shook her head. "Sheesh, time travel is confusing. But anyways, why hasn't he talked about any potential course of action?"

"We have talked about it, actually," Selina replied, earning a look of interest from the shaymin.

"Oh? Well what did he say?"

"He said it was probably impossible. Grovyle himself explained it. Time travel takes a massive toll on our bodies, and once you go through that portal so many times… well, eventually you can't do it anymore. Not alive, at least. Grovyle hit that limit, and Liam just about has too. I've only gone through once, but both Liam and Grovyle skipped around through those things a ton back when they were a team. If Liam goes through, there isn't any coming back. And that's assuming he would even survive."

"Wow, that has to suck," Flora said.

"Yeah, but it's still impossible. The future that Grovyle came from no longer exists."

"True. But if it did?"

"Then Liam still wouldn't go," Selina replied.

"Really? That's interesting. But why?" Flora inquired.

"Because he wouldn't leave us to try and chase down memories that he no longer has. He cares for all of us too much for that. I find it touching."

"It is. Surprisingly so for a bounty hunter," she said with a laugh. Ahead of them, a feraligator had stepped from out of the water, followed by a pair of his pre-evolved forms. Selina began to pick up her pace, but Flora shook her head. The groups were speaking, but they couldn't hear what was said. It was clear that hostility was in the air, though, made even more apparent when the water-type struck out towards Liam. The male lucario responded immediately, sending an aura sphere into the reptile's face, following it up with a swift shin to the groin. As Eleanor and Rachel dealt with the other two, Flora just looked over towards Selina, amused by the whole situation. "And now back to a menacing machine of war."

"Yeah, he can change at the blink of an eye. But that guy deserved it…"

"Of course. I guess I'll fly outta here and get the officers…"

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

"Listen, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all this…" said the typhlosion.

"No problem Aidan," replied Tristan. "I may be good at managing money, but I need all the help I can get. And you are even more qualified in that field than I am. Having you around would only be sensible."

"I'll do my best to help where I can."

"Well then, funny thing about that," Tristan said with a smile, "I might be in need of your assistance within the next day or so."

"Really? What do you have going on?"

"The police force here - they need some serious remodeling. They couldn't fight their way out of a bar, much less against honed outlaws. Retribution would have to beat them unconscious for the police to be able to handle them. I want more capable people defending our town, or at least to make the current officers more capable."

"Ah, I see. And it's going on while you seek to expand the farms, too," Aidan replied.

"Exactly. Now the budgets for this month and next are all devoted to that and general provisions for the town, so I could use some help in getting everything taken care of."

"That's a difficult one. And you said _all_ of the budget is in use, correct?"

"Practically all of it."

"There are a couple of solutions that come to mind. When we've got more time, I'll sit down with you and the elders and lay out a few solutions. Right now, though, I have to tend to my mate. She has been a bit under the weather as of lately."

"Of course. I would never seek to impend you in that. I will speak more with you about it tomorrow. You go ahead and take care of her."

"Alright. Thank you once again for the position." Aidan shut the door behind him, leaving the luxray to himself. _Alright, now that that's done…_ There were a couple of things still on the agenda for today, and he was secretly hoping for it to all be over. Of course, he knew the position would be a lot of work when he started. But in order to be the kind of leader that people respected, he had to put in far more hours. When he had done missions for a living, the workload alternated between off days and high intensity pursuits of outlaws. Now, however, he had to give each and every day the same amount of effort he had when he was a bounty hunter.

 _Next stop is the café,_ Tristan thought as he set off. Though the sun would be setting in a few hours, he had forgotten to eat throughout the day, as the various matters that he needed to tend to had demanded his full attention. He had done enough to deserve at least a little break, especially considering he had gotten everything in order to complete the farm expansions.

As Tristan was walking through the streets full of people looking to do their final shopping for the day, he secretly enjoyed the looks of respect that he received from them. Many of these very people would not have even recognized him prior to his victory. It was an open secret that when someone mentioned the words "Team Retribution," they really meant three people: Liam, Selina, and Eleanor. But now, everyone knew who he was, and they would all see what he was capable of.

It was on his way past the town square when Tristan noticed a rather frantic looking fennekin on the side of the road. He walked over to the small fox and smiled.

"Hello little one. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," he said with a small nod, "I was here with my mom… but I can't find her now…"

"Where were you when you two got separated?" Tristan asked.

"Right over there, sir," the fennekin said, pointing with his tiny paw towards the bank.

"I'll tell ya what, we can probably find her easier if we team up. Does that sound good?" The fire-type nodded with a smile. "Great. And what's your name, by the way?"

"Aaron…"

"Awesome name. Alright, if you would, just hop on." Aaron laughed, but did as he was told and climbed onto the luxray's back. "Now your mother is a delphox, right? Or maybe a braixen?" he asked as the fennekin on top of him tried to situate himself.

"She's a delphox."

"Well there are only so many of those around, and I doubt she went too far once she realized you were no longer with her." Tristan scanned over the crowd, though he didn't quite see the female fire-type anywhere. He did, however, notice dozens of humored looks from the townspeople upon seeing their leader serve as a steed for the child on his back. _To be fair, it probably does look funny…_ He decided to just roll with it and smile back, finding the humor in the situation.

"Huh, we've come pretty far this way," Tristan said, having passed the bank a minute ago. "I think we should turn around."

"Okay," Aaron replied. Going by the tone of his voice, he was enjoying the ride.

About ten minutes had passed with him searching just about everywhere in town. But eventually he made eye contact with the fire-type he was looking for, who immediately ran towards the two of them.

"Oh thank Arceus!" she said. "Where in the world did you head off to?! I was worried sick!"

"I'm sorry mom," Aaron said, hopping off of Tristan's back. "I didn't mean to get lost…"

"I'm just glad you're safe. And you," she said, diverting her attention towards the luxray, "I can't thank you enough. I knew I made the right choice voting for you. You are a true leader." She hugged him without reservation, and Tristan smiled in response.

"It wasn't a problem at all, ma'am. I'm just glad I could help."

As he left for his next destination, which now would no longer be the café on account of the time, Tristan couldn't help but smile.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

"Maybe this time he'll manage to stay out of trouble," the cresselia said. They had just finished up with the police, who had taken the feraligator and his crew into custody. As things had turned out, that particular gang had been known to ambush travelers, so Retribution was able to collect the bounty in addition to the reward money for the initial mission.

"I doubt it," Liam said. "Odds are he'll decide that he's got it all figured out in about another month or so, and then he'll venture out somewhere else and get his ass lost again. Seems to be in the furret's blood."

"Oh well. At least we managed to bring in a few outlaws," Eleanor said.

"Yeah, there's that." Liam was looking towards the water-types as they were loaded into the cages. Selina was off by the side of the river, looking out at the calm, afternoon scenery ahead of them. Ever since they had started the mission, she had been keeping to herself - something that wasn't like her in the slightest. Now that there was actually a free moment, Liam decided to go speak with her. "Hey," he said, taking a seat beside her in the sand.

"Oh, hey Liam," she replied.

"Everything okay? You've been distant all morning."

"Of course. I've just been kinda deep in thought…"

"Alright then." He remained silent for a second, looking out across the river. Of course, curiosity got the better of him. "You gonna tell me what about?"

"Mmm, nope. Not this time, nosy," she laughed.

"Oh really? Well like you always say, I'm gonna find out sooner or later. We live together, after all."

"Probably so. Arceus help me when that happens."

"Is something the matter though? You know you can always talk to me," the lucario said.

"That's not always the case," Selina admitted. "But I wish I could…"

"Why can't you?" he inquired.

"It's… awkward. Questions that I don't even wanna ask myself. I'd honestly rather try and think it over on my own." Liam nodded, not pressing the issue any further.

"Okay. Well if it helps take your mind off things, we could grab something to eat when we get back. Spinda's should be open then." She nodded, though an uncertain smile was on her face.

"Sounds like a plan Liam…"

"So anyways," he said, changing the subject, "are you excited for the trip?"

"Absolutely. We always have fun over there," Selina said. "Though now that I think about it, do you think there's anything wrong with us going back to the Hidden Land?"

"I dunno. I mean if Dialga had a problem with it, I guess he'd have said something to us. But he's only been happy to see us each time."

"Yeah. I was just kinda wondering. I mean the place was sealed off for a reason…"

"So they could keep troublesome people like yourself out?" he joked. She head-butted him harshly in the side, and he braced his paw to keep from falling over.

"I'll show you trouble," she said, joining in his laughter. As she nudged him, all he could think about was how sweet and melodious her laughter was. Sure, he'd heard it countless times before, but he hadn't really stopped and focused on it. While his mind was occupied, he let his guard down and proceeded to get shoved onto the ground. "See? That's what you get!"

"It's alright," he said. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the prettiest laugh?" The statement had come out of nowhere, shocking Liam himself just as much as it did the umbreon in front of him. Her playful demeanor having vanished, she averted her gaze timidly.

"N-no… I've never heard that before…" He mentally scolded himself for saying something so awkward, having not though about his words before he had said them. "But… that's really sweet of you, Liam…"

"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to make things awkward, I just…"

"…Just what?" she asked quietly.

"I… I don't know. Just forget about that little comment…"

"Oh, alright then…" Liam diverted his focus towards the now-imprisoned outlaws, one of which undoubtedly was still feeling the results of the run-in with the lucario. "I kicked him pretty damn hard," he joked. "He probably swallowed his balls after that."

"Liam!" Selina said, smacking him on the side.

"Ugh, sorry. Keep forgetting Tristan ain't here. Can't talk to you gals the same way I could to him…"

"Yeah, got that right," she stated. "And besides… I don't even know if they have… well, you know…"

"Beats me," he said with a shrug. "Guess they might be inside?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Why on Earth are we talking about feraligator genitals?"

"What do you mean 'why?' You started it!" The umbreon replied.

"Maybe. Anyways, your turn to change the topic." She rolled her eyes, then looked back out over the river. A few of the local bug-types could be seen hovering lazily over the water. Most of them were clearly mated pairs, enjoying the nice afternoon with one another.

"You know, I actually have been kinda wondering something. Something I've never really heard you talk about."

"Oh? You know as much about me as I do," he joked. "But what is it?"

"Well… being a human and all…" she began, "your customs…"

"I mean I don't even know that much," Liam replied.

"Right. Well… are you planning on settling down?"

"I already have though. We're pretty well stationed here."

"No no, not like that," Selina said. "I mean _really_ settle down. Like with a family and all."

"You all are as much of family as a guy could ask for," the lucario replied.

"That's not what I meant either. I mean like take up a mate." Liam tilted his head curiously, not really knowing the answer to that question. He may have asked himself the same thing a time or two before, but it had always resulted in him not coming to a conclusion. "I was just thinking. You know, being a human and all…"

"Yeah, I gotcha. I haven't really found an answer to that myself," he admitted. "I don't know what I'm after, honestly. Other than staying here and helping lead Retribution. But a mate? Would humans even be into pokémon like that? I mean my kind is a completely different species…" He thought it over to himself, and it did seem kind of weird. Though he didn't even remember what a human looked like. "But, on the other hand, it's not uncommon to find different species of pokémon together. Hell, some species practically have to do that."

"I wouldn't think it's weird," Selina said. "But then again, I don't really know a thing about humans."

"Guess it's just another thing on the list of stuff I'll never know," Liam stated. "But I guess I'll have to make that choice one day. That or just remain single forever."

"I'm sure the day will come, and you'll know what to do then," replied Selina.

"Probably. For now, though, I'm content with you all." Hearing footsteps approaching from behind them, both Liam and Selina looked back to find Rachel approaching them.

"Hey guys," she said. "I was already heading over here. Didn't want you all to think I was eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation."

"So you were totally eavesdropping then," Liam said.

"Err… no…"

"I'm just messing with ya. Join us." The female lucario sat down to his right, mindful to keep her distance. "Arceus, I'm not gonna bite you," he joked. She laughed and edged herself a bit closer. "So what's up?"

"I heard what you two were saying, and I got to wondering. You aren't going back to being human, right Liam?" He shook his head.

"Doesn't look like it's possible."

"Well then don't you think it's time to accept the fact that you'll be living the rest of your life as a pokémon? I definitely don't see any humans around, so if you want to find a mate, then you'll have to look outside of your species."

"Yeah, figured that much."

"Like I said, you would do well to learn how to live as a lucario. You may be the same person that you were before, but you are now a member of this species. And not to sound annoying… but you're a bit behind in that regard. I mean heck, even I am, being seventy seasons old and not having settled down with a mate. And you're older than I am. Granted, there's far more to being a lucario than settling down as fast as possible. We're generally very selective when it comes to picking a mate."

"Lucario or not, I'm not in a rush. Not for that at least. But I do need to get better at being one."

"Maybe. But I don't want you to change who you are," Selina said.

"Oh I won't," he stated.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The café was mostly empty, with only ten or so people in it at the time. Liam and Selina had picked a small table in the corner, and the two had laughed and carried on well past midnight. It wouldn't be long before Spinda closed up shop, but they didn't seem to be mindful about that right now. And between the two of them, only one was sober. Though a drunken lucario was a funny sight to see, Selina made a mental note to let Spinda have it later; he knew damn well when Liam was stumbling up to the bar that he'd had enough. But seeing as to how the bartender had had very few customers that night, he had probably been ready to accept whatever money he could make. _At the expense of Liam's sense of balance…_ Well at least they would be walking home together…

"And then…" Liam said, with tears in his eyes, "he told me he'd brought a cage!" The lucario burst out into laughter once again, finding even the slightest thing funny. She was laughing too, but more so at his current demeanor right now. Though she'd already heard the story before - not that he was aware of that in this state.

"Liam… you're terribly drunk…"

"I know!" he said excitedly. She couldn't help but giggle at that response.

"I think we need to get you home before you make any more a fool of yourself."

"Probably a good idea." He hopped off of the stool and stumbled forward, catching the edge of the table before he fell onto it. "See? No problem."

"If you say so…" She walked towards his side, ready to catch him if he tipped over. And that was more than likely to happen on their way back.

The stairs took awhile, and served to both humor and annoy the umbreon. Just when he would make his way up a few, he'd begin to back down once again. But slowly they made their ascent - fortunately with nobody else watching. The most powerful bounty hunter in the country couldn't be seen like this. Well, not by anyone aside from her, at least.

"Oooooh," he said, drawing his words out. "That's pretty." He was looking at the radiating rings on her body.

"Really? How many do you see?"

"Like… all of them."

"Six, from where you're standing," she said.

"Mmkay, whatever you saaaay!"

"Arceus, Liam," she said with a slight laugh. "We really need to get you home."

"But we're having so much fun," he said.

"Oh yes. And when you wake up tomorrow - not remembering any of this - I'm going to have a lot more fun making you relive it. But you're not going to pass out in the middle of the street on my watch."

"Ugh, fine. Now which way is it?"

"I'm leading the way for a reason."

"Yeah…" he looked around, unfamiliar with the town that he walked through just about every day. "Today was a good day!" he proudly exclaimed from out of the blue.

"Yes, I suppose it was." They had taken care of two things - both a mission and an outlaw gang. So they had definitely accomplished something.

"But then again, it's always a good day when you're around! I wouldn't be lying if I said I was in love with you, ya know." She stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wh-what?"

"Mmm, look at you acting all shy."

"Liam, you're drunk…"

"And you're adorable."

Thankfully, the rest of the walk home had gone nothing like that. Liam seemed to have forgotten he'd even said such a thing to begin with. The same could not be said for Selina.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**

 **Not much to say this time around, other than stay tuned for the part I'm sure most of you are waiting for.**

 **Thanks to Orthros for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

"Advisor, the sheriff has arrived," Kieran said. He was a raichu, a few seasons younger than Tristan, but with probably twice the energy and excitement.

"Alright. Send him in." Kieran disappeared a little ways down the mountain, but returned soon to the luxray. The magnezone was following close behind.

"I'll give the two of you some privacy," Kieran said, before making his leave.

"Sorry to call you up here on such short notice," Tristan said, "but I felt that a topic like this needed addressing as soon as possible."

"Is everything well, Advisor?" the sheriff asked.

"Well, yes and no. I brought you up here to talk about your officers. Now I know that you all have noble intentions and all - you've done a lot towards keeping this town safe. But I'm concerned about their fitness for duty."

"You… are?"

"To be honest, I am. Let's take Rachel for instance. She was able to sneak up to your officers, knock one of them out silently, and get the other on his knees and at her mercy. Had she wanted to attack the others, she probably could have. And that was just _one_ skilled person. What could a decently strong group of outlaws have done?"

"I see…"

"And the fact that you all have to rely so much on bounty hunters to capture outlaws should also be a sign. Now I'm not looking at having anyone replaced or anything."

"Then what is it that you would like done?" Magnezone asked.

"We were able to set aside some funds for you and your police. I would like for them to be trained better, and have some more recruits join. Town's getting bigger anyways, so I'm sure you all need to expand. This is all effective immediately, too."

"Really? Well we are happy to accept anything that would help our forces grow. Truth is, past few years have been hard on the force, so a move of this sort is a breath of fresh air." Tristan was pleased with how the conversation had gone thus far, as he had not meant to come across as offensive by saying that the cops were not properly trained. But Magnezone seemed happy to undertake the proper measures in creating a more elite police force.

"That's good to hear, Sheriff. Now I don't mean to cut our meeting short - especially since you've come all the way up here from town - but Aiden and I have to tend to the farmers. We're doubling the size of the fields, and we're expecting a shipment today of foreign plants, so there's a lot to pay for."

"Understood. It pleases me that you are as concerned about this town as you are. Knowing what I know now, I can only imagine how everything would have turned out if that criminal had won. Thank Arceus for Team Retribution looking out for us."

"Ah, well, we're all just doing our jobs. But thank you for the kind words."

"I will leave you to it then. Should I report the progress to you by the end of the week?"

"If you would. Kieren can lead you to the person who I have set in charge of the process. He goes by Raymond, and I trust he and his associates will be able to help get the force more in shape. His crew was a pretty elite group of bounty hunters from the Air Continent, and the elders think that he was a good choice for the money spent."

"Then I will meet with him now. You take care, Advisor." Magnezone headed back down, leaving Tristan to his own thoughts. Truth be told, this process could take months. The police had a long way to go in order to be up to his expectations - that was for sure. But surely they would be able to get it done with enough hard work, and Raymond would make sure that he saw things through. At least, those were the vibes that Tristan had gotten from the salamence. But he'd come highly recommended by many people undoubtedly more experienced in these fields than Tristan, so he was confident that things would go according to plan. _Now, off to see Aidan._

He could already tell that it was going to be one of those days where he barely stopped. He didn't know how Torkoal could have possibly kept up with this level of activity, as it was definitely trying on the luxray, not to mention stressful. But it offered a sense of accomplishment unlike any other, despite the amount of stress associated with the job. _Ha, I'll probably be getting some grey on my mane before too much longer,_ he thought. And from prior knowledge of this job, he might just have this position for life.

By the time he had made his way down the other side of the mountain, Aidan was already waiting for him. The typhlosion was patiently standing there by the eastward path, ready to accompany him on the walk to the fields. More than likely, everyone of interest was already there too, so they'd need to get a move on. "Is everything in order?" Tristan asked.

"Well… we've run into an issue. No time to stop now though. I'll discuss it with you on the way there."

"What happened?"

"I've got the money for the shipment right here," Aidan said, tapping the satchel at his side. "But I think we may have miscalculated something along the line." He pulled out a folded paper, opening it up and showing Tristan the numbers they had calculated. "We're uhh… exactly Ᵽ1,200 short."

"What? How? We sat down and ran those numbers together. How did we miss a number like that?"

"I think we figured in the cost of the shipment with all field operations. So given that I've got Ᵽ1,200 here for the shipment, my best guess is that it accidentally got drawn out of wages."

"Shit, that's going to piss the workers off."

"Yeah, there are already some questions floating about. We'll have to deal with that right after paying for the shipment. Sorry that I overlooked that error…"

"No, it wasn't you. I wrote that down. It was my fault."

"I should've caught it before something like this happened," Aidan replied.

"It's okay. How have the grass-types responded?"

"They're being very rational about it. As of now, the supervisors have taken the cuts out of their own wages, so those three are the people we'll need to be dealing with."

"And money doesn't come in again until next month," the luxray said in irritation. "Well shit. I'll just meet with them privately and take care of it. I'm glad though that we found people who were willing to take the cut themselves rather than pass it down to the workers. I think we found a good crew."

"Yeah, I think so too. They all seem like really good people to me." The caravan was visible in the distance, and the workers ready to unload its contents once the exchange had been made.

"You know, I never did ask - how is your mate doing now?"

"Oh, she's doing well. She had a bad fever for three days, but it calmed down last night and hasn't returned yet. I appreciate all the house calls."

"Ah, that was nothing. Though I didn't know typhlosions could catch a fever." Aidan shook his head.

"She isn't a typhlosion. She's a lopunny."

"Ohh, that explains it. Well nice, man."

"Yeah. We met soon after I left Obsidian City. It was really weird, too - she was just walking alone on the path. Once we'd been introduced, come to find out we were heading the same way for awhile. I'd figured that I had just found someone to talk to, but as you can see, it became a lot more than that. We hit it off really well over those next few days. It's funny how sometimes all it takes is those little things, ya know?"

"Yeah, I suppose. That's so coincidental, but pretty awesome."

"Mhm. We haven't left each others' sides since then. That was about a year and a half ago."

"Neat."

"What about you, Tristan? Do you have a mate?" Aidan asked.

"Me? No. Not yet, at least."

"Ha, that's kinda weird. People in power are almost never single."

"Well," Tristan said, "to be fair, I'm pretty sure Kraven was too. So no matter who would've won, you all would've been stuck with a single Advisor," he joked. "That is, of course, until Retribution took him down."

"Ah, y'all were gonna win that election from the start," the fire-type said. "Anyways, enough of that talk. Time to take care of business."

They had arrived at the edge of the first main field, where the caravan had parked. Several wooden wagons had been loaded with produce and bags full of seeds, and more grass-types than he'd ever seen in a single place, including one of which he really needed to tend to.

"Hey," Tristan said to the person who seemed to be in charge: a ludicolo. Truth be told, it was hard for the luxray to take such a species seriously with that funny look they always had on them, but those thoughts best be kept to himself for the time being. "I'm sure you're ready to get back on the road, so we'll make this quick. Aidan." The typhlosion nodded and retrieved the coins from his satchel and carefully counted them in front of the ludicolo.

"There you are."

"Yep, everything's in order," he replied. "So should we unload here?"

"That works. All of that stuff is going directly in the ground, so it won't be out long."

"Well alright then."

"Now I'm terribly sorry that I'm not able to stick around longer, but there are some other things I need to focus my attention on," Tristan said. "I trust these guys have everything taken care of."

"Not a problem. Thanks for your business."

"Cecilia? May I have a word with you?" The bayleef nodded, her perky demeanor the same as always.

"Of course, Advisor. I actually need to speak with you as well."

"Walk with me, if you wouldn't mind." The two of them made their way towards the town - away from all the laborers and the fields. Tristan stopped once he was out of hearing range of the others. "I know what you and the other two supervisors did. I'm sorry about that."

"I understand. Mistakes happen."

"I took a look at the numbers again, and it was my fault. I accidentally counted the cost of the new produce with everything going on here in general. It was a stupid mistake."

"I see," she said.

"But I've got you all taken care of. Don't worry about that. I'll have the money to you by the end of the day. You've taken care of me, so I'm gonna make sure you all get what's owed to you." She nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you, Tristan. Though… if you don't mind me asking… how? I don't know a lot about politics, but don't you all collect taxes each month?"

"That is correct."

"I was speaking with Aidan two days ago, and he said that you two had managed to set aside the remaining budget for the police." He had been hoping to avoid this topic, but it seemed that she was onto him.

"Yeah, that's also true. I'm trying to get them trained better to take in criminals and protect the town."

"Then… where is the money coming from?" she asked. "I don't mean to pry - not at all. But I can't help but wonder."

"I will be paying you three out of pocket," he replied. "I made the mistake, so it's only fitting that I take care of it."

"Oh, Tristan…"

"But I'd prefer you keep that between the two of us, alright?"

"Alright. You're a good person, you know that?"

"Well I try. But I'm sorry it even came to this. I will have the money tonight, so we will meet then. Now let's get back over there. That's a lot of plants, and I'm sure they could use some help."

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

With the trip to the Hidden Land only days away, the two of them had packed just about everything needed. Maybe the change in scenery would help to take her mind off of what had happened a few days ago. Then again, the only person going with her on this month-long vacation was the very person she was trying to think over.

As expected, Liam remembered nothing of the night before. The last he'd been able to recall was in the café, so anything said beyond that was lost to him. And the umbreon had been unable to determine if it was just something said among his drunken stupor or if the alcohol had made him confide some private feeling that he otherwise would not have mentioned.

 _Maybe… Flora was right…_ But then again, maybe she wasn't. It very well could have been meaningless words coming from an intoxicated lucario, but the thoughts could not leave her mind. Liam had been confused as to why she was so jumpy around him, and she had simply tried to play it off as nothing. But she was fairly certain that he saw through that excuse - that is, if he didn't already feel the uneasiness in her aura. She had resorted to packing for the trip to occupy her mind, but there was only so much they needed to take - or could even physically carry. Now she was without anything to do but think things over.

 _What if he really does feel that way about me?_ she kept thinking. _But he might not have meant it…_ And all this while sharing a _home_ with him. She should have thought something like this through better. Now things would be awkward for sure…

"Selina, are you still beating yourself up over… well, whatever it is you've been thinking about lately?" Liam asked. He was sitting at the table, sorting through the money he had taken out of his chest, probably to fund some project in town. Meanwhile, she was lying prone on her bed, staring out into space.

"No, Liam," she lied, "I'm fine."

"Sorry, not buyin' it. I don't even have to feel your aura to know that ain't true," he said without looking up from his task.

"Arceus Liam, will you just back off of it?" She had made the statement much harsher than intended, and he looked up from the table.

"I'm… sorry if I came across as prying… That wasn't my intention."

"No," she sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I just… kinda have a lot going on right now…"

"But we've been together like… the entire time these last few days." _And that was exactly what did it…_ she thought to herself.

"I mean in my head," she replied.

"Oh." He stood up, dragging the chair behind him towards her bed, before sitting down. "Have I upset you, Selina? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's not you, Liam."

"Was it someone else on the team?" he asked.

"Nobody else, no. It's just… me. I'm just trying to think a few things over, but I can't seem to make any ground."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe this trip will do you well then. Clear your mind a bit, perhaps?" _If only…_

"Hopefully." She had wished that the lucario would go about his business, but he just sat there and looked back at her.

"Well, what do you wanna do today? I don't have much of anything going on… so I'm sure we could find something to do around town."

"I think… I just wanna lay here today and do nothing…" she said.

"Really? That's not like you at all. But if you insist. I have to go out some and run some errands, so I'll be outta here before long. Want me to get you anything on the way back? Something to eat maybe?"

"No, I'm good."

"Alright... I guess I'll be off then." Liam got back on his feet, taking the chair back to its original place. He put the money in one of his satchels and slung it over his shoulder. But he couldn't just leave on that note. "Hey," he said, making his way back to her side. "Whatever's going on… I'm sure it'll work itself out. It always has." He placed a paw reassuringly on her back, and she relished in the contact. She had been distant from him ever since that incident, so it was a welcome gesture.

"Thank you." He nodded, then began to make his way for the door. "Oh, and Liam?" He turned around, flashing her a questioning look. "I wouldn't mind one of Spinda's mixed berry smoothies, if you have time." He laughed in response.

"Of course. You and your sweet-tooth. I'll bring ya back one."

And like that, she was finally on her own. Selina had her head buried into the covers. Oh how she wished she could've wiped the memory from her head - or perhaps been buzzed enough to have forgotten the whole thing. But then again, one could only imagine what may have happened had they both been intoxicated. _D_ _on'_ _t be surprised when you find the two of you locked together, if ya know what I mean._ Flora's words echoed within her mind, much to her displeasure. "Ugh, that shaymin," she said aloud. She just had to go and put thoughts of that nature into the innocent umbreon's mind. It had only served to worsen things, now that she had heard what Liam said. And she didn't mean to be reclusive towards Liam - it wasn't his fault things had turned out like this. He was her closest companion by far; no one else even came close.

 _You're overthinking this,_ a voice said within her head, _you always do. Liam wasn't even able to navigate town that night. No way was he thinking straight._ "Yeah… but if he _did_ feel that way…" It was the same conversation she had been having with herself ever since he'd said those things. What Liam and her already had was a very valuable bond, and she didn't want to endanger that for anything in the world. But now she was faced with a choice that she didn't want to make: either discuss this with Liam and risk making things awkward between the two of them, or just keep it to herself, to which she would never know for sure.

Yet she had only served to avoid the one question that she now had to ask herself: how did _she_ feel about him? Selina knew that one day she would probably find a mate and settle down. But thoughts of those types had been absent while in Team Retribution, only now to resurface abruptly. Liam was certainly prime material for a mate, and any female would be excited to land a catch like him. He was, at his core, a very sweet and sensitive person, though he tried very well to hide that. And Flora had been right about one thing: he did admire her. Liam had gone out of his way to made sure she was always happy and taken care of, and looking back over all these years… it wouldn't surprise her if he did feel that way. _But he was a human… he doesn't even know if he'd take a pokémon for a mate…_ She stopped that line of thought. _Oh Arceus, now i'm talking about him being a mate…_ She sighed into her bed. _Well that's what people in love do, silly_ , that voice said. _I'm not in love, I'm…_

 _What do you call this then?_ _You sitting here fawning over him, wanting him to come back._ True, she was waiting for his return - his presence might put this annoying voice to rest. That and there may be a smoothie involved…

But no matter what, she couldn't shake the mental war she was having with herself. As soon as she looked up from her bed, she was greeted with the sight of that eevee and riolu in the picture. _Stop fighting what you know to be true. Accept it._ She couldn't take her eyes off of the portrait, noticing how happy he looked at her side. Despite his evolution, he sported the same look that he always did - that same look he always had around her. A look of pure happiness.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

On his way back home, Liam walked with a brisk pace to keep the smoothie from getting warm. He had tended to all of his errands quicker than he had thought, given that all the people he needed to see were in relatively close proximity to each other. While Tristan and his crew were tackling several large projects, Liam had helped fund a few of the ongoing public projects that potentially could have insufficient money to continue during the lack of administrative funding. Not that it was the luxray's fault; the matters he was taking care of now were far more important than roads and fences.

Everything was in order for their departure tomorrow. Like each year, Lapras would take only Selina and him to the Hidden Land, where they would make their way leisurely back towards Temporal Tower. And as always, they would visit Dialga, as well as pay their respects to Grovyle. Liam missed his friend from another life, and not a day went by where he didn't wish to at least remember a little more. But there was no changing his reality now. Selina had been as great a companion he could have ever hoped for.

But lately, she had been very reserved. He didn't know why, but she had been acting strange ever since he'd woken up from his night of intoxication. _Did I do something that upset her?_ He sure hoped not. She had said that it wasn't him, but it couldn't be a coincidence that her demeanor had changed just like that.

A white flash zipped by his face, causing him to jump slightly and almost spill the smoothie. Flora had landed at his side, grinning as though she had done nothing mischievous at all. "Dang it, Flora…"

"What? Saw you and thought I'd come speak with our brave leader."

"Sure. Not that you wanted to cause trouble or anything."

"Mmm, nope - that's your job," she said. "Isn't that right, my election-rigging friend?" He looked around, seeing that nobody else was paying attention.

"Hush now," he said quietly. "No talk of that sort in public."

"Oh alright. Not like they'd care anyways. You've got this town at your beck and call. You've probably got more power than Tristan," Flora said.

"Don't let him hear you say that," he said with a laugh. "How're things going between the two of you? Selina told me about your interest."

"I'd say it's going well. He knows I feel, but the few times he doesn't seem to be tied up, I'm out on a mission. We need to get better about planning these types of things out."

"Well I'm sure it'll sort itself out," the lucario said. "In the meantime, y'all just make sure he doesn't do anything too rash while we're gone." Flora looked at the cup in his hand, apparently just now noticing it.

"Say, don't you think it's a bit early for drinking?"

"What? Oh, this isn't for me. And it's not alcohol."

"I see. Always at your umbreon's beck and call. 'Oh Liam? Be a dear and fetch me something from Spinda's,'" she joked. Liam laughed after rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, that's not at all how that interaction went, but okay."

"If you say so."

"Well I mean I was going out anyways. She just wanted to stay home and think about something, so I'd figured I'd bring her back this."

"And Spinda's just so happened to be 'in the way,' right? Despite being on the other side of town," the shaymin said.

"Well I mean… I think I may have upset her a few nights ago. When the two of us went there, I got a bit drunk…"

"No, you got a _lot_ drunk."

"Is that why she's upset? Did I do something?" Flora averted her gaze, staring off towards the path ahead. But eventually, she shook her head.

"You didn't _do_ anything particularly rash, other than walk into every other obstacle on the way home. But you said something." _I knew it…_

"I did?" he asked. "What did I say?" It could have been any number of things.

"I can't tell you that. She asked me to keep it a secret."

"Dammit Flora, I need to know. If I said something that hurt her, I gotta make it right."

"Calm down," Flora replied. "No matter how intoxicated you become, you don't have it in you to be mean to Selina, and you know it. You haven't upset her in any way."

"Then what—."

"You'll have to ask her yourself. But I fear she might not tell you for some time to come."

"Then why did she tell you?" he asked. "I mean… no offense at all. But I've known her ever since I've been here. Why didn't she tell me?"

"Because sometimes you can't tell people stuff - especially guys." He sighed, knowing she was right. He hated that that was the case, but it was true nonetheless. Maybe one day they could talk about it, but for now, it might just be best to let the matter go. Though knowing his own tendencies, letting something go was nearly impossible…

"Oh well. Is what it is. I just hope I didn't say something too dumb."

"But you say dumb stuff all the time," she said with a laugh. "Relax. Everything's okay, and Selina's fine with you. Just take it easy on the drinking."

"Yeah, you're telling me. Thanks Flora." Though she hadn't disclosed exactly what he had wanted, it did bring him so form of confirmation.

"Anytime, silly human. Now I better get going. Unlike you, I gotta go to work today, and Eleanor is waiting. You know how she is."

"Unfortunately," he said with a grin. "But you all will be back to see us off, right?"

"Of course. We were last two times. Now shoo!" She nudged him in the side for emphasis, before leaping into the sky. _Little pest,_ he thought jokingly. By now, he had entered the woods that led to their home. Though the town was expanding, and with that came the need for more locations to build houses, he was glad that this property was off limits. Civilization had brought more conveniences than he could count, but it was nice to preserve some of the wilderness as well. And as long as he owned all that land, it would stay that way.

As he walked into the house, he saw the umbreon perk up. "It's still cold. Somehow."

"Oh. Thanks, Liam." Her voice sounded tired somehow, though sleeping had been pretty much all she had been doing as of lately. He didn't like that she was beating herself up over whatever this was.

"Not a problem," he replied. "Oh, and I spoke with Flora today. She uh… she told me." He had lowered his voice to make it seem more serious, causing her to tense up in fear.

"Wh-what? No… she… why would she…?" But he couldn't keep a straight face for long and grinned. "You!"

"Aw come on, have a bit more faith in her. She wouldn't go and do something like that." Selina shook her head.

"There was about to be a fight. Don't joke like that, Liam." But it had worked; she had eased up ever-so-slightly, evident by her tiny smile.

"But it's all too fun. You got worked up quickly, too."

"Mhm. You'd do best not to upset someone who has access to your room."

"Why? What're you gonna do to me?" Liam asked.

"I dunno, but I'll find something. Now give me my smoothie, please." He'd forgotten that he was holding it, and set it down at her place at their table. She went about drinking it as Liam headed towards the expansive opening in the cave. Against the horizon, Lapras could be seen drifting lazily against the waves, with Marvin flying alongside him. _Poor guy, he's probably getting his head talked off right about now,_ Liam thought.

"Liam, you're looking kinda silly just standing there like that," Selina said. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah, a little bit. Just wonderin' how he of all people was chosen to be the sole means of transport to the Hidden Land." Selina tilted her head in confusion.

"Lapras? I dunno. Maybe he lives there and Dialga just came up to him and said 'hey, want a job?' Maybe something like that." He laughed at the idea.

"I suppose. I'll tell you what, though, I was terrified back when we first went over there. Seeing a lapras just take off and fly…"

"Yeah," Selina said with a nod, "me too."

"Say, why didn't he ever choose a name for himself?" Liam asked. "I mean I know there are a lot of people around here that haven't either, but still… It's getting way more common. World's getting smaller, and all of a sudden there are more of everyone's species. You almost _have_ to take a name nowadays."

"Well I guess that's a question for him in two days. But also, have you ever seen any other laprases? I know I haven't."

"True. I guess he can get away with it. Only I don't understand why nobody else at the Guild decided to take one up. I know for a fact there are like twenty other bidoofs around… unfortunately."

"Hey, don't you speak bad about him," Selina said jokingly. "He uhh… he means well."

"Yeah. Oh, and that reminds me, I haven't decided whether to thank him or punch him yet. I forgot to tell you, but he's the one responsible for gettin' me turned into a pokémon."

"What? There's no way," she stated.

"Uh huh, he sure did. Remember how he was the last member to join the Guild before us? Well about half a year before we joined, he had taken a trip to some place called Star Cave."

"Never heard of it."

"Yeah, well, there's supposedly a rare pokémon called Jirachi down there. And he grants a single wish to anyone who can reach him. And you know what he wished for? A friend to mentor in the Guild. And guess who showed up right after that? So yeah, he _was_ responsible for me getting turned into a pokémon."

"No… I never would've thought…" Selina said. Her smoothie had long since been finished as she listened intently to his story.

"Mhm. And had he not gone and done something like that, I'd have stayed a human. But I doubt the Guild would've let one join, so I guess it might've been to our advantage."

"And when exactly did you find this out?"

"Let's see… about a week ago when I was speaking with Chatot. I'd forgotten to tell you because we were working, and then I went and said whatever it was. Didn't find a good time until now to bring it up," the lucario said.

"Well I think you should thank him. After all, you wouldn't wanna be the one human wandering around these parts, now would you?" she asked.

"Good point," he admitted. "But he still kinda has a punchable face, though…"

"Liam!"

"Just messing with ya, geez."

— — — — —

 **Eleanor**

— — — — —

The day had come for Liam and Selina to depart for the Hidden Land. Everyone except for Tristan, who was currently busier than ever, had attended, as was custom. After all, they wouldn't see these two for about a month. She did not know what all they could do over the course of a month in such a place, but that was none of her concern. They did need the time off, though - really, every member of the team could use that right about now. But the surrounding territories really couldn't afford for all of Retribution to be on break at once. Not when there was as much work to be done as there was. But Liam and Selina had both pitched in massively these past few months in order to secure the safety and wellbeing of the town, and for that, a vacation would do them well.

But she knew just as well as everyone present that this was not just a vacation. This was also held in memory of everything that had gone wrong years ago - from the near collapse of Temporal Tower, and with it, time itself, to the loss of Grovyle, Liam's closest companion and friend from another life altogether. She truly pitied the former human for all that he had been through, but her pity could do nothing to bring back what was lost.

Yet in the loss, he had gained so much. The cresselia treasured him as a friend, and though there were surely times where they argued, she knew his heart to be filled with love and compassion. She had made the right decision in joining forces with them after the defeat of Darkrai, and her time with them had been undoubtedly the most enjoyable time she had spent in her life. Her days of the endless pursuit of evil had now come to rest, other than the occasional run-in with thugs in the field. Now she had friends who she knew she could take on the world with. Eleanor only hated the fact that she would outlive them all by centuries. _But I shall enjoy what time I have with them, however brief it may be,_ she thought. And besides, she would see them on the other side.

"Y'all be sure to have fun out there," Flora said.

"When am I ever not having fun?" Liam asked. _Oh, you always do make sure to do so._

"I assume the three of us will resume missions when you get back?" Rachel asked.

"Of course," replied Selina. "And we'll be back before you know it. In the meantime, though, please help Eleanor and Flora on their rescue missions. Hopefully the police will be able to bring in some of these outlaws while we're out."

"I can do missions on my own as well, if need be," the female lucario stated. "I've been doing it for years."

"Oh I know that - of course. But Tristan's brought in some people to help train the police force. Let's let them try a little bit. And besides, you've got friends in all of us. You don't have to go out on your own any more," Selina said.

"Okay, I will accompany these two on their rescue missions for now. And when you two get back, I'll be ready to kick some ass."

"That's the spirit," Liam said. Eleanor decided to speak up.

"Do not worry, Rachel. Rescuing others is often more rewarding even that bringing down outlaws, and not as dangerous. I'm sure you will enjoy it." She directed her focus towards Liam and Selina. "You two, have a great time. And be careful. I look forward to hearing what all happened when you get back." She went up and embraced both of them.

"Now you guys are gonna get me all choked up," Selina said.

"Oh no, we don't want that happening. On the shell, Selina," Liam said. She hopped on top of Lapras in response, soon followed by Liam. The few bags that they could carry were already on his back, and he was ready to swim off at a moment's notice. "Listen y'all, take care. We'll be back before long. And Marvin… you be careful with those three. And guys, if I found out that he even got a scratch on him…"

"He won't Liam, don't be paranoid," Flora said.

"Alright. Love ya bud."

"Love you guys," the manaphy said. Liam nodded to Lapras, who, taking the cue, pushed off of the shore. They started drifting off.

Eleanor watched as her friends grew further and further away, joining the others in waving before heading off on their own business for the day. As she slowly flew back to town, she couldn't help but think that this time… this trip… things would be different. She was arguably the smartest member of the team, her intelligence a result of her five hundred years of experience. And through that time, she had come to know how people acted very well. But aside from that, she knew these two, and was aware of the tension between them… and what may very well become of it. _It is only a matter of time,_ the cresselia thought as she headed off in the other direction.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:**

 **Hope you guys enjoy the latest chapter, as things are starting to really pick up in terms of the plot. Be on the lookout, particularly for the next two. It's getting somewhat obvious what's under way.**

 **Also, keep in mind that following or favoriting this story, as well as posting a review, makes you eligible for a one-shot. Generally they're around 20K words or more.**

 **Thanks to Orthros for the super fast editing services!**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

— — — — —

 **Rachel**

— — — — —

"Right in here!" the flaaffy said hastily. "He needs help, please hurry!"

"I know, I know - you've said it like twenty times already," Rachel said. "We're going."

"How bad is it?" Eleanor asked. "Have you set the bone or anything?"

"N-no," she replied, "I don't know how to - that's why I came to you all!"

"Alright, I just wanted to know. Flora, do you mind keeping Marvin company while we tend to him?" The aid that they provided could very well be a gruesome sight, and one that they would prefer to keep the young manaphy's eyes away from.

"Fine, I'll take up babysitting duty," the shaymin said with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey!" Marvin said.

"Only kidding, sweetie. I'm sure we can find something fun to do while the others play doctor." Rachel led the way into the cave, followed by Eleanor and Bianca. Inside, they saw an ampharos with his back to the wall. His left leg was noticeably broken, swollen and inflamed around his thigh, and it was evident that he'd been unable to withhold all of the tears.

"Dang," Rachel said, "this doesn't look good at all."

"I know," Bianca said. "What can you do?!" Eleanor looked at the female lucario and just shook her head.

"I'm afraid there isn't too much we can do, other than transport him back to town. Doctors there will be able to help him far more than we can."

"Well we could at least set the thing before we take him. We'll need to make a brace for it."

"Do you know how to do that?" the cresselia asked.

"Yeah. Since it's his femur, I'll need to make a brace that he can put most of his weight on. Unless of course, you'd like to carry him the entire way."

"I do not know if I can, even with my power. Proceed," Eleanor said.

"Okay, I need you to go outside and get me a bunch of sticks - like a little bit longer than his leg, and as thick as my paw, if you can." Eleanor nodded and flew out of the cave, leaving Rachel with the two electric-types. She examined the wound, and from the looks of it, it was probably a severe transverse fracture.  
"How did this happen?" she asked the ampharos.

"We were climbing down - we were careful and all. But I tripped and fell down…"

"He fell like twenty feet!" Bianca exclaimed.

"I tried stopping myself. If I'd fallen over the next cliff…"

"You would've died," Rachel said. From where they were, it was at least a hundred foot drop to the ground. "You made the right call. Better your leg than your life."

"You mean I'm going to lose the leg?!" Gavin asked frantically.

"No, no - you'll be fine in a few months," she said.

"Oh thank Arceus," the flaaffy stated.

"But you definitely could've gotten it worse. You're lucky it's not comminuted."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"When the bone breaks and splinters everywhere. Yours just broke right across - that's easily fixable. Comminuted fractures, not so much. So I'm going to make you a brace that we can use to help get you back to Treasure Town."

"But we're from Capim…" he replied.

"And that is another day's walk. At your pace, unassisted, it would take you a week to make that, so we'll have to make do. Do you two have any money on you? Or anyone related to you in Treasure Town?"

"N-not really. I'm afraid we don't have much on us at the moment," Bianca said. _Great._ "Are you… do you all need payment?"

"No, that's not what I'm getting at," Rachel said. "We don't charge. At least, not for stuff like this. I do collect bounties, but this is anything but. What I was getting at was whether or not you two have a place to stay."

"Oh…" Bianca said. "Well, no… not really." The lucario sighed quietly to herself.

"Alright, you two can stay at my house until further notice," Rachel said.

"Really?" the ampharos asked. "Well… we really appreciate that."

"We'll figure that stuff out later. For now, let's see what we can do." Eleanor had returned with a large collection of sticks, and the lucario went about sorting through them. She selected a few that were of decent enough length to make a temporary brace.

"Wait… won't we need something to bind them together with?" Eleanor asked.

"Already got it covered. One of the things I've learned to never leave without is rope." She gently stretched out the ampharos' injured leg and positioned a stick on each side, roughly measuring everything out before going to work.

— — — — —

 **Flora**

— — — — —

"Well is it that big tree over there?" she asked.

"Nope, you're getting colder," said Marvin. She had all but listed every green thing in sight and was running out of ideas. "I'll give you a hint - it's touching the water."

"Hmm… is it those lily pads over there?"

"Oh, you're on the right track!" the manaphy stated. "Now which one?"

"Are you kidding me right now? There's like four hundred of the things! You can't just make it so that I have to find the specific one that you're looking at!"

"Okay, okay, fine. It was that one right there - the one kinda floatin' out in the middle of nowhere." She could see which one he was talking about, but it would've taken her at least ten minutes to guess it.

"Alright then, my turn."

"Nah, this is getting kinda boring. Let's do something else." Flora rolled her eyes in response.

"Okay, fine. Whatcha wanna do?"

"I dunno. Talk?"

"About what?" she asked.

"Oh, how about Mom and Dad? How do you think they're doing?" The shaymin shrugged. They were definitely still at sea, as the journey took about four days without a rush.

"I guess they're good. I dunno. But from what I understand, Liam doesn't really like sailing. Makes him kinda dizzy, not to mention he's surrounded by all that water. Hero of the continent, and can't swim to save his very life…"

"Oh. That's sad," Marvin said. "When do you think they'll let me go on that trip?"

"Well honey… this is kinda something they do on their own. Like a little getaway, if you will. But they also go for a few other reasons. You are aware of what happened before you were born, right?"

"Yeah, they went over there and saved the world!" he exclaimed. It was adorable how proud he was of his adoptive parents, in the shaymin's opinion.

"Well yes. But there was a lot more that went on there." She was surprised that Liam and Selina hadn't really gone over what all had happened at the Hidden Land, and she contemplated whether or not it was really her place to disclose such information.

"Well? You gonna tell me?" he asked. She sighed.

"Alright, but this just stays between the two of us. Can you do that for Aunt Flora?"

"Of course!"

"Okay. So Liam and Selina went there about half a year before you hatched. But they weren't the only ones to go - they had another friend."

"Ohhh… Who was it?"

"A guy that just went by Grovyle. But… he didn't make it. Just like Liam, he came from the future, and the time came for him to go back. And now… the future he came from doesn't exist… He's… gone for real."

"Oh no…" The young manaphy looked out over the river, as if trying to imagine the events himself. "Wait a second… how is Dad still here then?"

"Now you've put it together," she said quietly. "Liam… he disappeared too. The two of them stopping Dialga from going primal made it so that he was erased from time. He was dead for a few months…"

"What?! But…" He looked just as confused as she imagined he would.

"But Dialga took pity on Selina, and bent the fabric of time itself to bring him back."

"Wow. That's really cool, I guess. But Mom… she must have felt awful."

"It was before I joined them too, so I didn't witness anything. But from what I heard… she was going off the deep end. Liam was her entire world, and she wasn't coping well without him. I know she wasn't eating much at all during that time, and… from what I understand… she cried a lot."

"Aww… Now you're making me feel all sad…"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I felt like you kinda deserved to know what happened. But I mean it - this better stay here. Selina _hates_ bringing up that stuff." The manaphy nodded.

"I bet. But I promise, Aunt Flora, I won't say a word. But… I've got other questions. Mom and dad, ya know… they don't make a lot of sense…"

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"I mean they don't… they aren't _like_ all my friends' parents."

"Oh… you mean _that_. Well… truth be told… they aren't really mates, you see."

"But… that's so weird!" he said, half to himself. "What kind of parents aren't mates?"

"Ugh, it's kinda complicated. But both of them love you very much. That's all that matters, right?" He nodded.

"I guess so…" He looked at her, and it was clear that he was contemplating whether or not to ask her something else.

"What is it, honey?"

"Do you uhh… think that they love each other?"

"I…" she looked around to make sure that they were still alone. Rachel and Eleanor must have still been inside the cave, tending to Gavin's leg. "I think so… for sure…" she whispered. "But you didn't hear that from me! I mean it!"

"Haha, alright!" And the words had been exchanged just in time, too. Both of them turned around upon hearing the stumbling behind them. The ampharos was walking on his makeshift brace, albeit awkwardly.

"I think I'm… getting the hang of this…" he said.

"Yes, honey, I think you are." Bianca said. "Now do you think you'll be able to make all the way back? It's almost a day's walk…"

"Of course! It'll take more than a broken bone to stop me!" The flaaffy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, whatever," Bianca said. Rachel and Eleanor had joined the others outside, ready to pitch in and help in the case that he fell. Flora got back on her feet and stretched out, secretly hoping that Marvin wouldn't accidentally spill on what all she'd said. Not that any of it was too secretive; practically everyone knew this stuff. But she could only imagine how much Selina would chew her out for saying those things to Marvin.

"I think we may be able to get home before nightfall," Eleanor said. "In any case, I would say that it's about time for us to head out."

— — — — —

 **Lapras**

— — — — —

The water-type glided against the gentle waves, and the temperature was just about perfect for such a voyage. So far, the weather had been smooth and consistent, and the three friends were enjoying it thoroughly. Given the speed that he was currently going, they would arrive at the Hidden Land within another two days. Well, he _could_ go faster, but it'd be a challenge for his two passengers to hang on. So Lapras maintained the speed that would get them to the Hidden Land in decent time, but also wouldn't fling the lucario and umbreon off into the water behind him. Though on the downside, there wasn't a whole lot to do, other than talk.

"No, Dialga controls time, so he's immune to it. Wouldn't he be like… at all points in time at _once_?" Liam asked.

"I don't… follow what you're saying," Selina replied.

"He's saying that Dialga always exists, and he's constantly in the past, the present, and the future," Lapras said.

"Ohh…"

"Or at least, that's what I think," Liam said. "Of course, I'm not a multi-dimensional being, so I don't really know for sure. I guess we'll just have to ask him when we get there."

"Sounds like a plan," Selina said. "I actually got something I wanna ask, too."

"Really? What is it?" the lucario asked.

"Well, Dialga knows the future, right?" Liam nodded. "I mean, he practically guides it. But your visions… I guess… I just want to know how they would have come to pass. What sort of events would've had to happen for a future like that to occur."

"Huh, now that you mention it, I'd like to hear that myself. I haven't had any of those visions for some time now. But it _is_ kinda weird, you know, being that the Dimensional Scream wasn't ever wrong before. Now we've gone and kinda forced it to be wrong, so there's that I guess."

"I wonder… just maybe… Do you think that Grovyle might still be alive?" she asked, changing the subject. "I mean… you are…" Liam looked out over the ocean, then shook his head with a laugh.

"I doubt it. I'm pretty sure I was dead for that time… Now I didn't find myself going to the afterlife, so maybe I was destined to come back here. But I was a weird case. Grovyle's entire future was erased, but I had to already be tied to more than one time period. I mean… how else would I have such an ability?"

"Maybe Dialga might have an answer," Lapras said. "That'll give you two something to look forward to on your journey."

"Yeah," Liam said, "right after we visit a grave, too."

"Well, it could be worse. At least you're able to go on this trip to begin with," Lapras said. "I mean, I remember back when Selina and I were the only ones riding back…"

"Don't you start on that," the umbreon said.

"Oh yeah," the water-type said, "I forgot. Touchy subject."

"But why?" Liam asked. "I'm here, and things are fine. No need to be upset over that."

"It's not… you, Liam," she said. "It was just a really rough time for me… I'd prefer not to remember it, that's all…" Lapras nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Once Liam was out of the picture, things had gone downhill for the umbreon. He wasn't aware all the details of it, but he had seen her that one night at Sharpedo Bluff, far too close to the edge for his comfort. Lapras didn't know for sure what her intentions were, but it wasn't long after that when Liam had showed back up, and nothing of the sort had happened since.

"Aw, well don't you worry about a thing. I'm not going anywhere now. I'm pretty set right here with you," Liam said. The water-type couldn't see the two of them, but he could feel the lucario shuffle over a bit, probably to hug the dark-type.

"You know, the two of you better not start anything on my shell," Lapras joked.

"H-Hey!" Selina said, causing him to laugh.

"Anyways… how have things gone with Rachel? I haven't seen her on any missions," Lapras said. "Really, only seen her around the campfire. But she does seem nice enough."

"She's been a big help ever since she joined," Liam said. "Right now, she's out there with Flora and Eleanor doing a rescue mission. And of course, you know of her involvement in the election."

"Yes, of course," he replied.

"She's far more skilled than I'd originally thought, and even when she joined I knew she was something special, to have gotten that rank on her own. Being a one-man army is incredibly dangerous, and if you get defeated in hostile territory… there's no telling what might happen, especially to a female…"

"That is true," Selina said.

"But aside from that, she's been helping me on several occasions, teaching me to be more like a lucario. I'm not about to change who I am, but it's nice to know what other members of my species are like. That and she helps me some with combat. She's got a very precise style, that's for sure, and you've gotta stay on your toes if you wanna avoid getting swept off of them," Liam said with a laugh. "But I've been teaching her a thing myself. She's taken up an interest in learning how to throw iron spikes."

"Wh-what?" Selina asked. "She… has?"

"Yep. Is there something weird about that?" Liam asked.

"N-no… I just… thought that maybe she would have… already known how to?" The umbreon sounded uncertain, and unconvincing, but it seemed like one of those things that would be better left ignored. Selina wasn't the type to deal well with questioning, and she'd always act nervous if in the case that she was trying to keep something to herself.

"Well, you gotta start somewhere, I guess," Lapras said. "Maybe it was just seeing Liam always walk around with a sash full of them. It does look rather tough, if I may say so myself."

"That's kinda along the lines of what I was thinking," the lucario said. "Anyways, it's a good skill to have. A well placed thorn is far more effective than a normal attack."

"Yeah, if you intend on impaling the enemy."

"Well," Liam said with a shrug, "some people deserve to be impaled, I guess."

"Like that Kraven…" Lapras said.

"Oh, he got his. He was taken back to the Air Continent and executed for his crimes. Alakazam sent me the letter breaking everything down. I'm glad they were able to help take him in."

"It's sad that it has to be like that," Selina said.

"I know. But someone as bad as he was… he doesn't have much of a place in society. And I don't think it's fair, either, for everyone to have to float the bill for him to stay in prison. He got what he deserved. Maybe if he didn't want to be executed, then he wouldn't have terrorized people around the world for the sake of money. Even Eleanor - a direct agent of _Arceus_ \- was ready to take Darkrai's life. It's unfair to allow innocent people to die just because one can't accept that sometimes, it's best to take a life to save countless others."

"I understand," Lapras said. "And I know that Darkrai must have been bad for Eleanor to be ready to do that. She detests violence, let alone killing."

"Oh I know. I've already gotten a few of her lectures as to why I should bring them all in and let the law deal with it," Liam said. "Of course, she hounded me after Venom. She says that it was well within my power to take them all in, but I'm not about to risk injuring myself to protect someone who's gonna be killed once they're taken in anyway. That just doesn't make much sense to me." He got onto his feet, stretching out after having sat for a few hours. The lucario nearly tripped on one of his shell's spikes, causing the other two to laugh at his near fall into the water. It was a welcome change of tone, at least, given the previous topics.

"Well it sounds like everything is working out just fine, then," Lapras said. "Of course, I'd come on more of the missions with you all, but as you can see, my body is not particularly designed for land."

"Ah, you know, you could just kinda drag yourself along behind us," Liam joked. "Dang, that'd be a funny sight to see." Selina giggled at the thought of it, and Lapras admittedly found it pretty funny as well.

"Would it be as funny as seeing a lucario try to swim all the way to the Hidden Land?" Lapras asked.

"Sure, especially when he sinks like a rock!" Selina said.

"Hey now, I can swim well enough…"

"Yeah, if you count thrashing around helplessly as swimming," the umbreon teased.

"Well I can't help the fact that I'm a steel type," he said in his defense. "I mean, in case you didn't notice, we don't exactly float…"

"I would still try to learn, if I were you," Lapras said. "I can't imagine that it would be good if you were to fall into water on a mission."

"Oh, it would be awesome," Selina said. "See, I'd get to paddle out there and save him, and he'd be all embarrassed and try to think up some excuse…" Lapras laughed from the thought, knowing that such a thing would be well within the lucario's nature.

It wasn't long before the orange skies turned dark, and the water-type slowed to a stop, floating atop the still seas. After they had all eaten, they made their preparations to settle down for the night. Liam and Selina had used the small travel bags as makeshift pillows, and Lapras listened to the gentle breeze as the two of them eventually fell asleep beside one another.

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

Raymond and his associates were mainly going over attacks and their respective typings, all while the officers, old and new alike, listened intently. The salamence clearly knew what he was talking about, and Tristan found himself enjoying the way he was able to conduct himself. He seemed to be a real figure of authority, both derived from his power and his experience. That was something he himself was going to need to get better at.

So far, everyone liked him for who he was. Tristan had worked himself to the bone to serve the people as well as possible, and he was always trying to make the inhabitants of Treasure Town happy with his devotion. But there was more to leadership than simply being a nice person, and that much he knew for certain. Tristan needed to increase his charisma, as currently, it seemed as though he was considered as a nice, neighborly person. The position of Advisor, though, was one of power and respect, and had been throughout the town's existence.

He shook his head. There he was, going off on a tangent when there was work to be done. Raymond had made the members of the magnemite family form into various positions, instructing them on formations that he had encountered from various police forces over the course of his travels. Tristan could see what he was doing, too, even being able to feel the results around him. The electromagnetic field in the area had grown significantly larger as they began conducting electric attacks, and it was an impressive feat on ingenuity that could both make their attacks more accurate and significantly more powerful.

"Enjoying yourself?" Rachel asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. This guy was well worth the money," he answered.

"Looks like it to me. He seems to only be focusing on the team aspect of things, though…"

"Well yeah. It's not like they're gonna be attacking outlaws on their own or anything," Tristan said.

"I know," Rachel countered, "but a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, right? They've gotta know how to each fight on their own, too."

"Well I guess that's next on the agenda. Right now though, this'll do. It's already a massive improvement over the mockery of a combat style they were using in the beginning."

"You know," the lucario continued, "I could help some in my spare time, too."

"Really? You could?" The luxray looked at her questioningly.

"Of course. That's my specialty, and the reason I was able to get the ranking I had. I do know what I'm doing," she laughed.

"I know that," Tristan said. "You kinda kicked Liam's ass, and I've never seen him lose a fight."

"Well that wasn't really a fight…" She laughed slightly, and he could see a smile on her face.

"Oh? Don't think I didn't see that," he said.

"See what?"

"You like him, don't you?" Tristan asked, grinning. "Yeah, you do! I knew it all along…"

"Hey, knock it off now!" she said in embarrassment. "Nobody needs to be hearing that." Rachel kept her focus on the training exercises ahead of her, and remained silent for a moment or two. But eventually she sighed. "…Alright… fine… maybe just a bit."

"Is that why you joined Retribution?" the luxray inquired.

"Well it definitely was something in mind at the time, but that wasn't my main reason. I did want to join the group, since it makes it a lot easier to take out more outlaws. This crew here can do three jobs in the time it'd take me to do one, not to mention the fact that going alone was always so dangerous. I know I don't look it, but… it made me scared at times."

"I don't doubt it," Tristan replied. "Lot of bad people out there."

"Yep," Rachel said, "that's the whole reason I have a job."

"Now back to Liam…"

"Ugh, you're gonna make me regret telling you, aren't you?"

"Nah, I won't tell anyone. But I'm surprised that you haven't said anything. You seem the type to have no problem speaking her mind and all…"

"I know," she admitted, "it's just… whenever I get around him, I become a little fidgety. There aren't too many of us around, and… well, you know what he did years ago. His reputation and all… and yet he's as _nice_ as he is."

"Ah, he ain't all that nice," the luxray said with a laugh. "You should see how he treated that one guy last year who threatened to force himself upon Selina."

"Oh? What happened?" she asked.

"Liam told us to get the hell out, and he ended up stabbing him all up. I mean butchered him in all but a few seconds. Not to say the guy didn't deserve, since I'd have done the same thing in Liam's position. But holy shit… hearing that dude screaming out like that? And to see Liam walk out, more red than blue… Damn, it was a sight to see."

"Wow… he's really something," Rachel said. "He cares a lot for his team, it would seem."

"Yeah," Tristan replied, "he does. Anyways, if I were you, I'd go for it. What have you got to lose?"

"You know, I think I will," she said. "In about a month's time, that is…"

"They'll be back before you know it. Now I don't mean to cut our conversation short or anything, but…"

"No, it's not a problem at all," she said with a smile. "I know you've got stuff to attend to. I won't keep you any longer."

"Alright then. You gonna just sit there and watch 'em go at it?" he asked jokingly.

"Actually, I'm considering pitching in myself. It'll give me something to do between missions, and they sure could use it," Rachel stated.

"Well I'm sure the officers would appreciate it, given your level of skill. Now I've gotta go and meet Aiden. We've got a lot of planning to do, now that we've actually got some money to be working with. I'll see if I can set aside some time when you guys are also here. We should all grab dinner." He looked up at the mountain where his quarters were, having made very little use of his own house ever since he'd won the election. It was working him to death, alienating him from his friends. Perhaps if he managed time a little bit better, he could do stuff like that more often. "It's been awhile since we all got together. I'd like to do it more…"

"Well we all get it, with you being busy and all," Rachel said. "Now you best be off. If you need me for any reason at all, you always know where you can find me." He nodded, and, thanking her, Tristan left the station. It took only moments for thoughts of work to flood his mind. But this time, it was far larger than before.

Increasing the sizes of the fields had been a good call, and with the roads already under construction in each direction, a deal was in the process of being made, one that would take the entire town by surprise. Capim Town and Treasure Town were planning to unite into one general territory.

A few of their officials had met with Tristan's administration, impressed by the quick expansion of the town. Treasure Town's leap in agriculture would soon be enough to feed a population significantly larger than their current one, and that happened to be an area that Capim Town wasn't so fortunate in. While it supposedly wasn't a concern now, they did not have the capital to tend to these issues, and there had been talk of making a move like this in the past, from what the luxray had heard. Either way, it would work out well for Treasure Town, too. Capim, while lacking in the agriculture department, had large amounts of timber, as well as a few nearby iron mines. Not to mention that both settlements had equally ideal access to the sea, granting the possibility of water trade routes as well. But that stuff could be planned out thoroughly once the main agreement had been made.

Once he had reached the designated meeting spot - since their guests likely had no interest in hiking up a small mountain - Tristan spotted Aidan and walked up to him. They were a few miles west of the four-way road outside of town. For some reason, the typhlosion looked slightly nervous. "What's gotten you all worked up?" Tristan asked.

"Oh I don't know… I just wouldn't have thought that we'd find ourselves doing something so… well… _big_ ," he replied. "I mean, we're practically about to start a small state…"

"Well I've already seen the people that we're meeting with. They aren't anything to fret yourself over. Nice guys, too. But you can tell that they're desperate for this."

"Desperate? What do you mean?" Aidan asked.

"I mean that they need this union on account of their location. Mostly gravelly cliffs and some forests. There aren't too many places to build farms without leveling one of those two, and they're about to hit the point in which their population can't be fed by their fields. It's far more convenient - not to mention doable - for them to just join us. Of course, we'll probably want to do some more expansion for our own fields… again… but we've got the resources to accomplish that. And if not… well, Liam was a great help last month…"

"Was that where it came from?" Tristan looked around, seeing only the few designated members of his administration around, and out of hearing range.

"Yeah," the luxray said quietly. "He contributed the half that we couldn't come up with for the fields."

"Arceus…" Aidan said. "That was a lot of money…"

"It's nothing for him. If only you knew how rich that lucario was…" Tristan shook his head, but couldn't help but laugh at the predicament. "He's willing to be the safety net here. He really cares about this town, that's for sure."

"Yeah, well doesn't he own practically half of it?"

"Him? No, not that much. I'd say a third, but even then it's just the fact that he went and bought up the property that most of the businesses are sitting on, and flat out most of those businesses themselves. He's always generating money, even if he sits on his ass and does nothing."

"Well damn, it sounds to me like you should've hired him as a financial advisor," he joked.

"He wouldn't want it. Politics isn't really his thing. He'd rather go out and hunt down bad guys, and I can't fault him for that." The two of them joined with the others, and they all made small talk about the upcoming diplomatic move. With them were Kieran and Cecilia, as well as a few of the village elders. He had come to strongly rely on the bayleef, whose knowledge of botany was absolutely unrivaled by anyone he'd ever met. He had promoted her to the position of Administrator of Agriculture, and anything she needed, the luxray did his best to provide. Tristan had truly been surrounded by talented, experienced people, and for that he was grateful. As long as he used the skills and advice of those who were more knowledgeable than he, then it wouldn't be difficult at all to be revered as a great and effective leader.

"Looks like they're here," the raichu said.

"Arceus," Tristan joked, "did they bring the whole village?"

"Yeah, I'm already feeling a bit outnumbered here…" Aidan stated. The two groups met, and as it was discovered, the group from Capim Town consisted of all twelve members of their council.

"I'm seeing a few new faces, Tristan," the old torterra said.

"Yep, I could say the same. This is Aidan, my financial advisor, and Cecilia here runs all of the agriculture around these parts. I thought both of them would be relevant for the purposes of this discussion, along with, of course, the wisest within our town."

"Wait then, what does that make me?" Kieren asked.

"Comedic relief," Tristan joked, eliciting a laugh from those present. "Nah, but you're a massive help too. Got far more energy than I do."

"Now I can't help but wonder how we will go about transporting goods between the two towns," the old torterra, named Hughes, said.

"That's actually something I've given a great deal of thought towards. We have a series major road expansions planned, but perhaps we should focus most of those efforts Northeast towards you guys and put the others on hold. Then we could put aside what we would've spent on the other roads towards the development of a sea route for trade."

"All of that sounds very well thought out," Hughes said. "I would be lying if I were saying that we weren't in need of this agreement. Now I hate to be the one to ask something of the sort, and I had my reservations about making the request in our previous meeting, but is there any way we could begin trading at such proportions within the week? Our town will be in need of food soon, and rations are beginning to stretch thin."

"Oh? What happened?" asked Cecilia. "I thought… you all were self-sufficient last year… You shouldn't have gained that many people. What went wrong?"

"A landslide occurred," said a female ninetales. "It leveled a good portion of eastern fields right before we could harvest. We have had similar occurrences in the past, but none of these proportions."

"Over the hundreds of seasons that I have led my people, I have never had to face them about such a concern," the torterra said.

"You won't have to. Cecilia, we can get a crew together and set aside enough to feed their population, right?"

"Leave it to me, boss," she said. "We've got more than enough to cover our own and them some. Now about that road…"

"I fear that the road won't be constructed within the time needed for the transport, but we can have everything leveled in time for the shipment to arrive at Capim. At least, I think so…"

"Should be," Kieran said. "It's about a day's walk, right? If they need it within a week or so, I think we could easily set aside enough workers to clear the way."

"Yeah, I believe so," Tristan confirmed. "Y'alls population is a bit smaller than our own, and you've still got some fields that are yielding crop, correct?"

"Yes, that's right," Hughes said. "We have already planted once again for the next harvest. All we need is enough to make it through the season."

"We currently have around three thousand acres for grain, and another hundred for vegetables and berries. I'm not sure how much an acre will feed, but I feel like we've got enough to help out."

"Absolutely," Cecilia said. "With our dominion over plant-life, we can make an acre feed about fourteen or fifteen people. Well, that's if they're just eating bread, and of average size, but it's a start. If we need to support them for three months, then that would only require maybe two hundred or so acres to support their whole population for three months."

"Those numbers sound about right. At least, for estimates," Aidan stated. "Welp, I guess that takes care of that. Now about all this talk of the merge…"

"Yes, I do believe that it would benefit both towns," Hughes said.

"Agreed. I was thinking that we could establish some regular trade routes. Clearly we have the advantage in agriculture, and you all in mining and other raw resources. Bartering in such a manner would greatly help the both of us out. Now you all are looking to become a territory of Treasure Town, right? I am the Advisor here, so you all would be answering to me, but I'm not going to install people of my own into your town. I figure that you guys know far more about Capim than I do, so that's best just left alone."

"That is a wise move, Advisor," one of the elders, an older leafeon, said. "There is no need to fix that which does not need fixing."

"Of course not. Now I have been thinking… this is technically a state we're starting, right?"

"I would consider it to be that," said Kieren, "especially if other towns decide to join in a similar manner."

"So then we will need a name for this new state," Tristan replied. "Of course, that can be dealt with later. Right now, though, I'll have preparations made for the convoy back. Anyone got any questions?" The luxray looked around, and nobody spoke up. "Awesome. Now let's get to work."

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The two of them watched as Lapras disappeared into the sunrise, having dropped them off a bit sooner than expected. A hefty bag had been strapped on her back, containing the thick-walled tent they would use when the weather would inevitably act up, while Liam carried all the provisions. She didn't know how on Earth such a place could manage to have such an array of bizarre weather patterns, but it surely did. It was nothing for it to go from sandstorms to hailing in the matter of a few hours, then to raining… But the trip had become a ritual of theirs, and despite the many difficulties of the Hidden Land, there was an undeniable beauty to all the chaos.

"Well, we're here…" Liam said.

"That we are," Selina replied. "I guess… are you ready to go?"

"Yep. Better cover some distance while it's decent out." She nodded, turning around to mystical land that they would soon be traversing. It wouldn't take too long to cross, but they had developed a specific route, one which minimized their exposure to the elements and allowed them to collect necessary provisions, along with allowing for some sightseeing. Though she wasn't as fond of that hike up the mountain as Liam was, she did have to admit that being able to see the entire island from one point was pretty neat.

A surreal breeze drifted through the Hidden Land, the timeless area smelling of the salt of the surrounding sea. She released a content sigh, the temperature being perfect for the start of their journey. Liam looked at her and smiled, before looking towards the path ahead. A small flutter within her, and she looked down, the very thoughts she had been struggling with starting to resurface. She tried to focus on the imprints her paws were making in the soft sand in an effort to distract her. She didn't want to wage this mental war with herself right now. "You okay?" he asked, not even having to turn around. "You got a bit jittery there."

"Of course. You just know how I am about heights and all…"

"Aw come on, we haven't even gotten near the tower yet."

"Yeah but… it's always frightening when we do…" the umbreon said, hoping to try and end it there.

"Well you know that I'll never let anything happen to you," Liam replied. "So you don't have to worry about a thing." _Ugh, not helping, Liam…_ She shook her head, trying to regain her composure. But she knew fully well that this journey would be the hardest of them all. Not because of the weather, or the distance, but because of herself, and the multitude of ideas flooding her mind. Was she reading too much into things? Or perhaps not enough? The poor umbreon was about to drive herself mad with all of it, and despite everything, _he_ seemed to be calm and collected. He almost always was. But as Eleanor had mentioned during the election, it was difficult to know what Liam was really thinking. Unless he snapped, then his thoughts and motives were difficult to determine, even for the umbreon.

The shoreline gave way to the soft, swaying grasslands that covered the majority of the island. A few of the locals gazed upon the duo, some of them knowing exactly who the pair was. Selina looked over to her right, where a pair of dragonairs sat, coiled beside each other. Between them was a single dratini, watching the two travelers with great interest. She smiled at him as she passed by.

As they ventured up the first of the rolling hills, she looked towards the tower. She couldn't yet see it, but it was always clear which direction it was in, with a large, mystical light radiating from each direction. And unlike those years ago, they would be welcomed warmly by the god of time. And unlike then, Liam was here to stay. She always did enjoy the trip, as it gave them a true period of relaxation. There was no rush to save the world, or anything else for that matter.

But despite the peaceful nature of their surroundings, Selina's mind could not stop racing. Perhaps the trip was just what she needed to calm her down. Or maybe, instead, it would give her more questions about her relationship with the lucario, being that he was her only companion for the month. She sighed quietly, not knowing what to make of anything right now. It was clear that the trip would be different than any of the ones before it.

Little did she know just how different.

* * *

 **And there we are. Please consider leaving a review if you'd like to voice your thoughts. Until next time.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**

 **Another chapter out, this one being pretty fast in terms of update speed. Right now, I'm kind of on an _Into Darkness_ roll, particularly because of these next three chapters. **

**Also, keep in mind that following or favoriting this story, as well as posting a review, makes you eligible for a one-shot. Generally they're around 20K words or more.**

 **Thanks to Orthros for the super fast editing services!**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

With the path for the road to Capim having been cleared, the shipment of grain had already reached the other town. Now, all of the negotiations had taken place, the majority of which had fortunately been taken care of by other members of his administration. The two towns had announced the planned move to their respective populations, and as expected, there was a great deal of surprise among the residents of Treasure Town once they had heard the news. But it was a welcome change that would greatly expand both settlements, and maybe one day in the distant future, there would be nothing but buildings between the two locations. However, Tristan supposed that something of those proportions wouldn't be able to occur for many years.

Perhaps the most exciting news, though, aside from the easily accessible iron reserves, was the fact that the two settlements had managed to come to an agreement on a name for this state: Valmor. It had been agreed that both towns should keep their respective names, though Treasure Town would, of course, be the capital city of the new state. _Valmor,_ he kept thinking to himself. It had a great ring to it, and to think that he was in charge of it all. But that was a power that he refused to let go to his head, and as such, he had agreed to now consult with the elders on every move that he made. It wouldn't seem right otherwise.

He walked through the crossroads, seeing the banners displaying his colors. He'd kept the symbol that he'd used in his campaign, and now it would be the flag of an up-and-coming nation. This arrangement between the two towns was working out very well, so maybe it would be worth looking into making similar propositions with other towns. But he would have to start integrating smaller towns into Valmor, as Treasure Town would still have to remain first and foremost. And he had already planned out which villages he could visit next - ones with a couple hundred people, if even that. All of them could be introduced into this new state, and trade could be accomplished among all the settlements. He could hardly believe that at the top of it all was him.

Hopefully, when Selina and Liam came back from their trip, they would be impressed at what all he had accomplished in such a short time. Tristan hoped that they were well, but that fear that had always instilled itself within him couldn't help but manifest. _An entire month…_ But he shook his head. Everything would be fine. At least, it had been up until now. He figured that he may as well keep himself occupied in order to keep his mind off of his friends, lest he worry too much.

"Ha! Got you this time!" Flora said, drifting down to the luxray.

"Oh, hey Flora," Tristan said.

"What's got you out here? Come to look at all the flags that I designed?" she asked teasingly.

"Something along the lines of that. They look good, you know. You've got a real talent."

"Not particularly, but I appreciate the compliment," she said. "I heard of the news, by the way. You're taking this entire town by surprise, Tristan. I'm impressed… I mean, _everyone_ is. Not that we didn't expect great things from you - that's not what I'm saying at all! It's just…"

"I understand," Tristan said. "This town… well, Aidan, Cecilia and I did a little research, and it seems like Treasure Town has grown ten times more within the last few months than it did the last twenty _years._ Flora… what the hell were they doing? Yeah, Torkoal was a very wise and noble guy, but he never _tried_ anything different. This town was just _surviving._ But now, after all this… we're thriving."

"I couldn't agree more, love," she said, nuzzling up to him. He didn't react much aside from staring up towards the Guild.

"Those assholes up there… why did they even have a say in how things were run around here in the first place? Bunch of fools, and they wouldn't have had any problem had I starved to death!" he snarled. "But they're not worth the trouble. I'm better than that."

"There you go, honey. Just leave all that in the past," she said. "I know they didn't treat you very fairly… and we didn't know what was going on. We would've done something…"

"Yeah, I know," he said with a sigh. "Just me and my own pride, probably ashamed to ask for help. Might just be some of Liam rubbing off on me after all this time." He stared at the tent on the hill, and all the vibrant totems on each side of it, then shook his head. "Those guys… they mean well. I know they do. And I can't hate them for that, it's just… a bunch of dumbass people doing dumbass things," he laughed.

"Ah, well you gotta credit them for trying," Flora replied.

"Unfortunately so. But they don't get much of a say in anything anymore. They stick with their jobs and keep their hands off of exploration teams' money," he said.

"Now while that is the right call," she said, "I cannot help but worry. The Guild did rely at least somewhat on that money they were collecting. Now they don't get any of it."

"Well, that depends on how charitable the members are feeling. I've made it so that they cannot tax the profits made by exploration teams. Of course, we get that tax revenue now, but they should still be happy. After all, they're all getting to keep far more than the Guild would have ever allowed. But if they want to support the Guild, then it's not my place to stop them. They can donate to the lazy-ass and that loudmouthed bird if they just so happen to want to. But Chatot is not going to intimidate people into caving into his demands any more."

"Now enough of this talk. What do you say we go and grab lunch? I'm fairly certain you haven't eaten today," the shaymin said.

"No, I actually did grab something before I left the house. I'll eat with you, but we'll need to go a bit fast. Aidan and I gotta meet with the elders pretty soon to discuss a negotiation with Roseview. We're hoping to annex them as well."

"Roseview? I've never heard of it," Flora said.

"It's a small town southeast of here. Only about a day and a half walking distance, but that's only because it's in the middle of the forest. If we could get some roads up, I'd imagine that we could shorten that considerably."

"It sounds like a lovely place," she said. "I might have to fly over there myself."

"Should take you about half an hour, since you're flying," he said. "I'm sure you'd appreciate the greenery there. Mostly water and grass-types from what I heard."

"Huh, well I'll check it out. Now didn't we have somewhere to be?" she asked.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

The steep incline of the mountain was right before them, and the entire hike would take only a couple of days to traverse. Selina would have more difficulty throughout it due to her quadruped biology. However, that hadn't stopped her before, and this had become something they had done on each and every trip.

Liam finished putting out the fire, and the slight cold outside made him partially regret that move. But it was time for them to go, and Selina sat by idly, with the tent having been packed up once again. "You ready?"

"Hmm?" she asked, not really paying attention.

"I was just asking if you're ready to go."

"Oh, of course," Selina replied. "Now let's go climb that mountain." He led the way, having learned over the previous voyages the path that was easiest for her, though it still would still require some effort to reach the top. Though he got the feeling that she didn't enjoy it as much as he did… But it took less time as opposed to walking around the mountain range, while also allowing for them to avoid most of the unpredictable weather.

But none of that was forefront on his mind. He glanced sideward, seeing the umbreon looking just as distracted as she had been ever since this trip had started, or really, ever since he'd gone and said whatever he had that night. Liam knew she didn't want to talk about it, but he could feel the constant sense of awkwardness within her aura. He didn't know how to approach the issue, or even if he should, given that she was far too reserved to even think about letting him in on what was going on. But he'd be damned if he didn't at least try to make things better.

"Hey… I know I said I'd leave the matter alone, but… you've been pretty distant lately…" Liam said.

"Distant? No… everything's fine."

"Selina, come on now. You know damn well you're a horrible liar. And besides, I know you better than I know myself. Why will you not let me know what I did?" The lucario was looking at her, expecting an answer. Only, she didn't return his gaze, and instead looked at the ground. Liam stopped walking altogether, waiting the response.

"I… I don't…" she sighed. "Liam… I can't…"

"Why not?"

"Because… I just can't, okay?"

"But you could go and tell Flora…" he said, unhappy with the fact.

"Yeah but… that was different. She… she said some stuff before that, and I needed her advice…" He shook his head, managing a slightly annoyed laugh.

"Alright then. But I know damn well that it was something I said. Why not just get this over with? We're mature, and we can talk it over. She didn't tell me whatever it was, but she did say that I didn't upset you. So why can't you just let me in on it? It's gonna come out sooner or later, unless things are always gonna be awkward like this…"

"I… don't want that Liam…"

"Neither do I. So why not just take care of this now? I wanna make this right, Selina…" he stated. And that was absolutely the truth. He was trying to hide the fact that he was terrified, because never in the years that he had known her had there been any tension between the two of them. It wasn't a welcome feeling at all.

"Liam… I don't know if I can. I'm… scared to."

"Then I'm gonna have to call her on the whole 'non-offensive' part. Whatever I did to hurt you… I'm sorry. I would never want to—."

"You stop that right now," the umbreon said. "You've done nothing of the sort."

"Well then what gives? I feel like we're going around in circles here…" And they were. It had become clear that she wasn't about to reveal what had happened, and he was beginning to wonder if that was a good or bad thing. He wanted to know with everything in him, but Liam was starting to question whether or not he'd truly screwed up. The only thing he knew for certain was that he refused to ever get drunk again.

"I don't know what to say to that, Liam…"

"No," he said, "me neither." The umbreon looked away, and he could sense the slight feeling of sadness. But he wasn't sure how he could really talk to her at this point, seeing as to how there was clearly something wrong, and she didn't seem to want to fix it.

"How do you think Tristan is doing?" she asked, probably in an attempt to change the subject.

"Right now, I'd imagine he's doing pretty well, since I made it practically effortless for him."

"Huh?" She flashed him a confused look.

"You already know about the field money," he replied.

"Oh, that. Yeah, and it was a good call," Selina said.

"Tristan and Eleanor laid out the right idea for the taxation policy, but it'll take time for the town to really generate the money needed for these stunts that Tristan wants to pull. There just isn't enough out there for it. Do you know what it cost to clear those fields?" he asked.

"No…"

"Forty thousand. I sat down with Aidan and helped crunch the numbers. I imagine that typhlosion still has no idea where a good bit of that money came from."

"You've been pitching in, haven't you?"

"I've held up to what I said I would do. I'm not paying the Guild anymore, but I'm contributing where I can. And what I paid is a little more than what I make a month, anyways, among interest, business transactions, and bounties. I'm still by far the richest person in that town. But that move to clear the fields, that was more than just for Treasure Town."

"Oh?"

"Our food situation would have been fine. We could have cleared land as needed to deal with our problem. But Capim isn't so lucky."

"What does Capim Town have to do with any of this?" she inquired.

"Remember how I had left for those two days a few weeks after Tristan had won?" She nodded. "I went over there. I'd heard a resident of Capim talk about an upcoming food shortage being the reason he'd moved to Treasure Town, and I had to check it out. Turns out, they were right. The fields that had been planted could not provide for the population, and it was getting ready to become a serious issue for them. I ended up speaking with one of the grass-types that worked their wheat fields, and he had mentioned that on top of everything, there was nowhere left for them to expand. Unless, of course, they were gonna start putting vegetable gardens in everyone's houses. Any further north, they're in rocks, and of course the forest is to their east, right beside their fields. But they don't have the people or the money to be able to do what we just did."

"So the field expansion was for Capim?" Selina asked.

"I struck up a deal with their leader," Liam said. "I could get all the food they'd need and then some in the matter of a few months. My guess is that it's already there now. All they'd have to do is become a territory of Treasure Town." Selina stopped in her tracks.

"What?"

"Now it helps both groups out. They don't starve, and we get additional tax revenue. Maybe that and some access to their iron mines. But it works well for everyone. All I had to do after the field expansion was in place was go back there for a day and tell them that we were getting everything ready for them."

"Liam… why did you not run? You said you didn't want any part in politics, but then you go and do something like that…"

"And I didn't lie," he said. "I don't want to sit around all day and debate policy, or crunch numbers. I am a person of action, not talk."

"Action or not, that's politics if I've ever heard it," the umbreon said.

"Well whatever it is, it worked out well. I convinced Tristan that he'd be making the right move by expanding, and all he has to do is stay quiet, take the money I offered for the fields, and just get praised as a good leader. I could've had Marvin do that much." He noticed that he had the dark-type's undivided attention, and it was a welcome change from the previous topic of discussion. "But you asked why I didn't run, and my answer is the same as last time. I couldn't give this up to save my life. I enjoy adventuring with you too much for that. And I knew I'd be able to pull the right strings to win it for whatever candidate I wanted. Tristan, though… I'm glad you made that suggestion by the campfire. I was planning on using Retributions' weight to shift things towards the best person, but it was seeming like nobody wanted to run. And then you threw his name out, and it all worked perfectly."

"It… did?"

"Of course. I wanted Eleanor to run initially. We could've all just sat around and waited for her to get ninety percent of the vote. But Tristan… you see, he's a more agreeable type. Do you know what the golden rule is, Selina?" Liam asked.

"Yeah… treat others the way—."

"Not that one. The _other_ golden rule." She looked at him confusedly, then shook her head.

"No… I can't say that I do…"

"He who makes the gold makes the rules."

"W-what?"

"See, Eleanor is a real lovely gal, but she's a bit high-and-mighty. Truth be told, that's kinda okay for her to think, being that she's a legendary and all, but the fact is that Tristan is someone that I can use a whole lot easier."

"L-Liam!"

"Wait now, don't be reading into it like _that_. Everything I've done in secrecy has not been for my own gain. How can it be wrong if I'm not the one to profit? You're the only one who knows as of now. So it's not for money, not for popularity. I do what I do because it's _right._ Not because of power, or politics, but because it needs to be done. And if we're being honest, things have changed drastically for the better. As things are now, I'm paying more than I did at the Guild, but we know for a fact that it's all being used wisely. And I get a say in where the money goes this time."

"Geez, you're such a complicated one…" she said.

"I don't see much complication with this, to be honest," the lucario replied. "I've got money and power, and I just used both of those things to make sure that nearly ten thousand people do not go hungry."

"That is true," she said. "But don't you think Tristan would be disappointed?"

"Disappointed? About what? He's the most powerful person in the town… well, at least, everyone thinks that… But he's being hailed as the most effective leader that Treasure Town has ever had in just a few months' worth of policy. I don't see what he needs to be upset about." Selina shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe he might feel like you don't really believe in him, seeing as to how you're secretly running things…"

"Well then I guess it's just one of those things that he won't find out."

— — — — —

 **Eleanor**

— — — — —

With the recent creation of Valmor, and with Tristan and several of his officials in some other town, Eleanor had been left to look after things. Though she wasn't quite so sure what really needed looking after. Tristan had asked her to keep an eye on the place in his absence, so she had resorted to helping with the road construction. Though right about now, part of her was regretting that decision, given the summer heat and all…

But it was a good way for her to occupy herself, and while she helped lay the stone bricks in place, she couldn't help but wonder how all of this had come about. It just seemed so convenient and out of nowhere that Treasure Town would actually be approached out of the blue by the leaders of Capim for such a proposition. Eleanor had no issue with the deal that had been made, but she had to be missing something. There was no way that it had truly been that simple. And if she found out that lucario had anything to do with this, he would have hell to pay when he got back.

Yet it was still a good proposition, she had to admit. Nobody here had really known about the issue at large within Capim Town, and she was glad that the population was no longer at threat of a famine. Whatever the case, she'd have to do another round of questioning Liam. Honestly, she felt that their relationship always seemed to boil down to these disagreements, with him sneaking around and sticking his nose where it didn't belong, and her calling him out on it and trying to get him to straighten out. She wish that he would just knock it off, but she doubted that Liam would really listen. _Ever since that election, he's been like this…_ That wasn't to say he had done something of the sort this time around, but she wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

"Hey, you're drifting a bit off there," one of the workers said. The cresselia paid more attention to the bricklaying, finding that she needed to straighten out the ones that she had been laying while the mortar had not yet dried. She took the leveling board and set it beside the bricks, adjusting them as she went. She and one other were laying theirs towards the town, while most of the others were setting theirs between the two extending borders.

Eleanor knew one thing for certain, though: she was proud of how Tristan had been conducting himself. She was constantly overhearing how hard he worked, and how great of a job he was doing as the Advisor. The luxray had stepped up with great maturity, having taken well to the role, but also not letting any of it go to his head. He acknowledged that he did not know everything about what was going on, and resolved that issue by finding the smartest, most experienced people around and taking their advice. He listened to the words of the elders arguably as much as Torkoal did, if not more, and he had turned out to be the right pick for a candidate after all. Within just a few months, Tristan had managed to make concern about food a thing of the past, the price of which was now next to nothing, and the police were receiving some top-tier training from both Raymond and his crew, as well as Rachel. In addition to that, trade was currently being expanded upon, and they had far more raw materials available. Given that he had the position for life, there was no telling where things would head, though it was clear that everyone involved in his administration had full intentions of making this new state as large as possible.

"I think it's about time we call it a day," the boss of the construction crew - a machoke - stated. They had just run out of mortar, and he had likely found it as a good place to stop, being that it was late in the afternoon and all. Everyone had dried-mortar all over their forearms, too.

"Won't hear me complain," said an infernape.

The crew packed up the little equipment that they did have, and the excess bricks were set off to the side, where they would be used the following day. "Thanks for the help and all, miss," the machoke said.

"Not a problem," Eleanor replied. "I needed something to do today anyways."

Once everything was in order, she flew off towards town, intending to wash herself in one of the nearby waterfalls before grabbing something to eat. She couldn't help but wonder what Liam and Selina were up to right about now.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

She stared into the fire as Liam placed a few sticks here and there to keep it ablaze. She wasn't really sure what to think about his interference in politics, but Liam was going to do what he saw fit, and it was clear that there wasn't much talking him out of it. She could only imagine Eleanor being enraged at the lucario, and couldn't help but slightly laugh at the thought of her flinging him around, demanding answers once again.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing really. Just thinking about how Eleanor snapped at you back during the election," she replied.

"Ah," he said, placing the final stone in a ring around the campfire, before sitting beside her. "Find humor in watching me get thrown down, do you?"

"Maybe a bit."

"I see how it is, then," he laughed. "She'd probably do that and worse if she found out about the whole Capim thing. Can't imagine she'd be thrilled. I swear, that Eleanor…"

"Hey now, you can't say anything bad about her."

"Oh no, of course not. Legendary and all. But I wish she'd just let off a bit," Liam said.

"You know she's just looking out for you. Of course, that comes after all the arguing and questioning. But I know you aren't about to stop."

"Then you know me well. Why shouldn't I be able to use the wealth I've accumulated to help out where I see fit?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure she has her reasons," Selina said.

"As do I for continuing to pitch in."

"But I do not understand," the umbreon said. "You refuse to cooperate with her, or tell her what it is that you're up to. But yet you just casually told me earlier. Why is that?" Liam shrugged.

"Well, you're special…"

"And she isn't?"

"That's not what I meant," Liam said, backtracking. "I just know that I can trust you to not freak out on me, and I can't exactly bring myself to hide much from you. You've proven that time and time again." Flora's words were on her mind, knowing that the shaymin had been at least partially right.

"But why is that?"

"Beats me," Liam said. "But I seem to confide a lot in you, don't I? I mean, we've been through a lot together…"

"That we have…" she admitted. From Primal Dialga to Darkrai, it had been the two of them. "I still can't believe that we managed to do all the things we've done…"

"Yeah, well it's been a hell of a ride, that's for sure. And I've got you to thank for it." He placed his hand gently on her shoulder, and immediately the thoughts of that nature had returned, though he meant it solely as a friendly gesture. "Thank you, Selina. For starting the team with me… for never doubting me. You've always backed me, and I really appreciate it." She stayed silent, wondering if this is what it had all led to. If something was about to happen, or how she would respond if it did…

But he retrieved his paw from her shoulder, and she quietly released the breath that she had been holding. "Why… why don't we set up the bed?" It was getting kind of late, and served as a viable excuse to try and escape the situation altogether. Liam nodded.

"Sure. Getting a bit tired myself." Aside from the food, which he carried in the large satchel on his side, Liam also had the bedroll, with two folded blankets within. She had no idea how he managed to fit them all together into the tight pack that he could to roll up and wear, but he surely did. Selina just figured it might be just one of those things that the bipeds could do better. But while she had managed to avoid conversation for the night, lest she become even more awkward around the lucario, there was one other issue. Being that they could only carry so much, and that the bedroll was thickly lined, Liam was only able to carry one. She couldn't fit anything else on her back, simply due to room constraints, so this was the way things had to be over the course of the trip.

And it hadn't been awkward before - each of them took half, and each got their own blanket and all. But despite the fact that they'd done this in the past, there was no ignoring the awkwardness that would be present this time. At least each of them had their own blankets - and even thinking about a case in which they didn't threatened to let her nerves get the best of her.

Liam gave her one of the two blankets, which she readily crawled under, both for the warmth and as a means of visual escape. Meanwhile, Liam took his place on the other side of the bedroll and situated himself for the night. "Goodnight, Selina," he said.

"G-goodnight…" Fortunately it took him almost no time at all to fall asleep, leaving her to her own troubled thoughts. If this was what the entire trip would be like, then she already couldn't wait for it to be over. As much as she enjoyed the Hidden Land, she was not enjoying constantly being on edge like this, with every little look or gesture from the lucario nearly making her lose it. Her bond with Liam was worth protecting at all costs, and was what she treasured most in the world.

But it wouldn't be the same. There was simply no way after hearing all that she'd heard - after Flora's words, and Liam's own in his intoxication. She would need to figure out a way to act on this, or tell him what he had said in his lack of consciousness. Neither of those options seemed particularly appealing, but waiting around forever wouldn't work, either. She was scared though, for it seemed that any move other than just holding it in could jeopardize the relationship that she couldn't bear to lose. And last time she thought she had, it had nearly resulted in her taking her own life.

By the time she had managed to fall asleep, the fire had long since gone out.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:**

 **Another fast update, and a relatively small chapter this time around. Of course, these couple of small chapters just so happen to be the ones that a lot of you have been waiting for. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks to Orthros for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **. . . . . - Time skip**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The only thing that was running through her mind as she slowly came to was the chill that ran through the tent. It crept through the blanket, brushing across her stomach, and the umbreon was reminded of just one of the reasons why she didn't like this little hiking expedition that Liam insisted on each year. The sooner they packed up and got this whole thing over with, the sooner she could leave this cursed mountain behind. At least in the chaos of the Hidden Land's lower elevation, she wasn't freezing her tail off. Well, at the moment, her tail was one of the only things that wasn't currently cold. That and the rest of her backside. She pushed back into the source of the warmth, but stopped when she felt the spike through his blanket.

 _Arceus!_ She rolled over as fast as she could, flinging her blanket off in the process. Her breathing became rapid and terrified, seeing as to what had happened in her sleep. And she couldn't even fault the lucario for it, as much as she wanted to evade the blame. Liam had remained still the entire night, and was on his side of the bedroll - it was her that had moved over in the night. _Why can't I just get away from this?!_ she thought to herself. It seemed as though she were running into some situation like this constantly, and it was beginning to become unbearable. Fortunately he didn't seem to wake despite her quick movement. She couldn't even imagine trying to explain her way out of that one.

The gentle, yet frigid breeze made her hairs stand on end, and she couldn't figure out how much more she'd be able this to take before losing it. She simply couldn't do something to jeopardize her bond with Liam. Speaking of which, the lucario had woken, working on folding up the two blankets and bedroll. He tied them shut and slipped the pack over his shoulders."Good morning," he said with a yawn. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I'm not really hungry," she said.

"You're starting to get me concerned, ya know. You hardly ate anything last night."

"I know," she said quietly. "I'll probably eat a good bit for lunch, but I'm not really feeling it right now." The lucario shrugged and took a small piece of smoked meat from within the pouch, popping it into his mouth before going about disassembling the small tent. Once he was done, she walked over beside him, and he gently fixed it onto her back.

"And we're off!" he said in a joking, yet excited, tone. "Now is my faithful companion in need of conversation?"

"I guess," she said.

"Aw come on, what do you wanna talk about?"

"I dunno… maybe the whole Capim thing?

"Ah, this again?"

"Well you asked me what I wanted to talk about," she said.

"Fair enough. What do you wanna know?" To think that he would go through such great lengths to keep everything secretive, yet all she had to do was ask. Maybe Flora was right after all… _No… she couldn't have been right about everything…_

"Why are you doing this? Why do you continue to hide your actions from us?" she asked.

"Honestly, I don't even know much at this point. Eleanor is gonna give me hell when she finds out - and she will. She always seems to. So I just seem to be digging myself into a deeper hole to be honest. But I guess if I were to come up with an answer, it'd just be that it was the right thing to do. I mean we had to act fast in a situation like that, right?"

"Yeah, but—."

"Well I got everything taken care of, didn't I?"

"I'm not opposed to you going out and doing stuff like this," she stated. "You're a wonderful person, Liam. But can't you just tell the others? Don't you think they deserve to know when you're trying to… I don't know… create a small country?"

"I suppose you're right. I guess I just didn't see why it's any of their business what causes I donate my own money to, especially when they're all good."

"They're your family too, Liam. You know that Eleanor cares for you a lot. She just doesn't want you to get into trouble, that's all. So could you please just promise to let us know what's going on? I mean for good this time?"

"Alright, fine. I promise. Are you happy now?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

By noon, they were nearing the peak, and a light flurry was falling around the duo. The temperature and the path ahead were the only things registering to her as she tried to keep her mind numb. But each and every time he made a sound, or if she even happened to _see_ him, then those thoughts would come rushing right back.

She knew that she was going to need to put an end to this before long, and doing such could only lead to one of two different outcomes. One she hated, and the other she was uncertain about. Did she really feel that way? Did _he_ for that matter? The lucario was known to be a difficult one to fully comprehend. But what he said that night… did he really mean it? Flora sure seemed to think so, and from what she had said, apparently everyone else thought so, too. Selina sighed to herself, ready to stop fighting this mental war with herself. Yet she didn't know how to resolve it.

If only she could manage to even think straight for a minute. Each time she tried to devote more than a few moment's worth of consideration to the matter at hand, though, she would go off on a tangent. Selina had already been tired of it once she had left for the trip; now she was downright exhausted. And she didn't seem to be helping herself, either. Waking up and finding herself pressed against him for warmth, knowing that it had been her that had done it… She shook her head, only imagining what Flora would have said had she found them in such a position. No doubt she'd never let the poor umbreon hear the end of it. _Get a grip on yourself,_ she thought. _I accidentally did that because it was cold._ But then that part of her mind would speak up. After all, he didn't react to her at all. Maybe he had liked it, or maybe even… he could've woken before her. He often did. That thought alone made her feel faint. And she had done similar things in the past by mistake, like that time when they fell asleep on the beach. _Arceus… I did it then, too._ Her cheeks flushed at the thought of her resting on his chest, listening to his gentle heartbeat.

 _Please… please stop,_ she begged herself. "Selina… your feelings are off again. Is everything okay?" Liam asked.

"Yes… please just… just ignore it, alright?" she asked, trying not to sound half as desperate for relief as she was.

"It's kinda hard for me to ignore it," he said. "You're beatin' yourself up over something. I can't tell what it is, but…"

"I said just ignore it," she said quietly. She didn't mean to come across as hostile, but she was scared that he would perhaps ask the right question. He could partially feel her emotions, and if he just so happened to voice his reception of one of the dozens flooding through her, then she didn't know how she would react.

"As you wish," Liam stated. "But I do not like seeing you in such a state."

The two of them reached a small, level section of the mountain a few hours later, and the short grass was covered by a thin layer of snow. By this point, her legs were beginning to feel sore from the constant incline, but even pain was a better feeling than what was ongoing in her head.

"What do you say we rest here?"

"We don't _need_ to stop," Selina said.

"Well no, it's not something we have to do. But we're on vacation. We don't have some pressing concern ahead of us this time around. Why not take it a bit easier?"

"Fine," she muttered. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to eat while we're here, either." Liam began to rummage through the satchel, then distributed some berries and smoked meat to each of them. She quietly ate from the small slab that had been provided, keeping to herself the entire time. She didn't want to engage in conversation at the moment, yet she knew that the lucario wouldn't let that be a reality. And she couldn't blame him - that had always been the norm between the two of them. They had practically been glued to the hip ever since they'd created the team. But right now she wanted nothing more than peace and quiet. That and to delay the inevitable.

"So," he said, swallowing his last bite, "I've been thinking…"

"Of course you have…"

"Well, about the beach," he continued. "I think that at the rate they're going, they might try to put some property around there before long."

"Probably," she replied.

"What do you say to me buying it? Maybe turn it into a place where the team can hang out. Could put up a little shack or something, but leave the rest of the beach alone."

"That sounds good," she said.

"Come on now. Please don't act like that. I'm trying to make conversation here."

"Well maybe I'm not in a conversational mood," Selina replied. His ears dropped slightly, and she sighed. "Look, I'm sorry Liam. I'm not trying to be short with you or anything. I'm just having a hard time right now…"

"I understand," the lucario said. "Wish I could help, but…"

"There's nothing you can do," she murmured.

"Is this the way things are gonna be from now on?" he asked.

"I… hope not, Liam…"

"Because I'm trying with everything in me to make this right. I can't do that if I don't know what I did." She hated withholding this from him, knowing that it was putting a strain in the very bond that she was scared of losing in the first place. There seemed to be no simple way out, and for that, Selina was terrified. He eventually dismissed the topic altogether, going as silent as she was when it was time for them to leave once again.

— — — — —

 **Aidan**

— — — — —

The deal had been settled, and already, more negotiations would be in place. Not with Capim, nor with Roseview, but from a source that nobody had expected: Desert Village. They had apparently wanted to join Valmor, though for what reason Aidan was not fully aware. But their own town elders had already arranged for a meeting with Tristan soon after he had finished his business in Roseview. Perhaps they had seen the economic benefit to such a coalition of towns. He didn't quite know what they would be bringing to the table, but Tristan would likely think of something.

There was another concern, however. Yes, he seemed to be focusing heavily on the construction of roads to each of the towns within Valmor, but with four individual settlements being a part of the state, the need for some actually defined borders was becoming apparent. That happened to be what he was on the way to speak with Tristan about now. Though at the moment, a change that he would really appreciate would be a more appropriately located center of operations. This mountain was getting tiresome to traverse just about every day, although his leg strength had improved because of it. He chuckled upon recalling his mate's comments, as Faye had physically noticed it a few nights ago. But the lopunny seemed all too pleased with it, so he couldn't have had too much to complain about.

Once he'd finally reached the top, he found Tristan to be resting within the large tent that they had been using as a station for all the calculations and cost estimates. Papers surrounded him, and his head was on the table. He looked to be passed out. _Oh no… should I wake him?_ He didn't want to, and yet he'd come all the way up here at their agreed upon time to discuss the matter at hand. Aidan wasn't quite sure what to do, until the luxray spoke up.

"Forgive me for my appearance," he stated.

"N-no, sir. There is nothing to forgive. Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course, I am just exhausted," Tristan said. "But it is all paying off. Even a few weeks ago, I would never have imagined any of this. We are accomplishing great things here. I just didn't know it would come at the expense of nearly all of my sleep."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Advisor," Aidan said.

"Please don't call me that," he said, mustering a slight laugh. "You're my friend. No need for formalities. Honestly, I'd rather everyone call me by my name. It seems far more natural."

"Okay… but if you would like to discuss this at another time—."

"No, go ahead. You have my attention," Tristan said, raising his head.

"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about the lack of proper borders for Valmor. Don't you think that this is something that we should address? We'll have tax money next month, and from what you said, Liam has that bi-weekly fund set up for us, so we could tap into that as well. I would think that we'd have the money to make such a move if desired. What do you say?"

"If we continue to expand, though, would we not be expanding these borders as well? And wouldn't that defeat the purpose of making them this early?" the electric-type asked.

"While that is true, it is still necessary if you would like for this state to be recognized among other nations. I could not see it being a detriment to what we're trying to accomplish here," Aiden replied.

"Alright, but what about the wilderness-dwellers?" Tristan questioned. "We could not claim their land as within our borders…"

"I wouldn't look at it that way. I mean, they generally do not care about the politics outside of their woods. And I guarantee you that most of them wouldn't give much of a damn about being counted as within a certain territory. And besides, you know there's an increasing population moving to the cities now. These small enclaves might just end up becoming members anyways," Aidan said. "Just so long as we don't march into their places and just make ourselves at home, I don't see what would be the issue."

"That is true," Tristan said tiredly. "Have you spoken with anyone else about this? Or have you thought about these distinct borders yourself?"

"Yes," the typhlosion replied, "as a matter of fact, I have." He rummaged through his satchel, and pulled out the folded-up, drawn map. It was a copy that had been purchased at the Kecleon Shop, but it was enough to serve its purpose in this case. Dotting the Grass Continent's several geographical features was every town, city, or settlement that had a specific name. There were at least a couple hundred individual dots, though the majority of them were very small and without a name. No doubt they wouldn't even be aware of what was happening outside of their community. But for the towns that had populations greater than a thousand or so, it'd probably be best to ask for annexation rather than to just assume that they would be okay with it.

"So far, we are three settlements in size, about to be four. Now you can make a nice little triangle with Treasure Town, Capim, and Roseview. Everything in there we can more or less count as ours, as far as a boundary is concerned. Desert Village, though, being all the way out there… we'll probably have to touch bases with the dozen or so small towns in between so that we can extend the border out to Desert Village."

"Well what if they don't have any organized leadership?" Tristan asked the typhlosion.

"I guess that means they're about to get one," Aidan joked. "But in all reality, if they aren't led by someone, then give them the option to opt out of the taxes. If they do decide to pay, though, then they get access to our resources."

"And if they don't use money?"

"Barter I guess? I don't have all the answers. Clearly we're gonna need to work a lot more of this stuff out. But I think this is a good start." He pulled out the slim piece of charcoal that he had made earlier, and wrote the current unofficial boundary on the map. "Of course, it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and extend the road from Capim Town to Desert Village. It'll take a lot longer to construct, but we're getting more and more people, so that should help."

"Alright. How about you go and show this to the elders? I will discuss it with them later. Right now, though, I'm gonna rest for another hour or two." The typhlosion was concerned for his friend, but he didn't seem like he was about to change his workload anytime soon.

"Tristan… how long has it been since you've slept? And not passed out at work - I mean actually slept?"

"Two days," the luxray stated. "But there's no need to fret over me. I am fine, though I greatly appreciate your concern."

"Okay. Just please try to take it easy every once in awhile, alright?" Tristan nodded, and gently put his head back on the table. Aidan couldn't imagine it being comfortable, but he supposed that once a certain level of exhaustion had been reached, it didn't matter. The typhlosion left the confines of the tent, more than a little concerned for the Advisor. He was undoubtedly devoting everything within him to making sure that Treasure Town prospered, but he couldn't help but worry over him. The luxray had even lost a little weight ever since starting the job - a result of him skipping several meals.

But there was also no doubt in anyone's mind that he had been, so far, the most successful leader the town had ever had. His approval rating was above ninety percent, and everyone seemed to know of his dedication to improving the lives of the Treasure Town's inhabitants. Aidan felt that he had done just that and more. Yet that didn't eliminate his concern, and he hoped that eventually Tristan would be able to hire enough people below him so that he wouldn't have to work as much. He didn't see that changing in the upcoming months, though. At least, not while there was this much to be done.

Looking back just a few months ago, Aidan wouldn't have seen himself doing something on such a magnitude as this. If new settlements kept joining at this rate, they would soon be spanning over the Grass Continent, and civilization would become the preferred way of life for countless people out there. And he was glad that he could be a part of it.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The peak of the mountain was in sight, and finally their hike had neared its halfway point. Of course, it was only but a small fraction of their total trip, but it was still a checkpoint of some sort that had been reached. She had gotten to the point where every hour that passed without her losing her mind was an accomplishment. Liam had seemingly decided that silence was the best course of action on his part, which was completely unlike him around her. But then again, she had been anything but a pleasure to deal with as of lately. Each and every time he had tried talking with her, it ended up in some minor argument, or they would arrive at the same, unspeakable point. She couldn't let him know, but yet she needed to. The anticipation and uncertainty of what to do was eating away at her sanity.

That and the frigid, ice-covered stone that was underfoot. All that was ahead of them now was that one incline that was far too steep to climb, so they would need to use the narrow ledge beside it to access the more bearable slope, and one they could actually use to get to the very peak. Why it was so important that they did this, Selina still had no clue, but he enjoyed it, and they had done it ever since they began visiting the island without any dire need.

"Okay," Liam said. "Ready for this?"

"Not at all. I hate heights…"

"Aww, you never complain about the view from up here. And besides, it's nearly three feet wide. We've done this several times before, so I don't know what the sudden fear is about."

"Well then let's just get it over with." She slowly stepped forward, holding her breath as she did so, all while trying to avert her gaze away from the far-away ground. The trees below could barely be made out, and it made her jittery each year. The umbreon swore to address this with Liam after this time. She had nearly made it halfway across before Liam joined her on the ledge, sidestepping carefully.

She reached the end of the ledge, crossing over onto more secure ground, and none too soon. Selina sat down, the chill from her spine not due to the temperature for once during this hike. Liam was facing the steep incline, the pack on his back working against him as it hung over the edge. The sight alone made her nauseous, and she was ready for him to join her. "Hurry up now," she said. "I don't like seeing you that close to the edge!"

"You're kidding, right? I'm fine." He looked up from the task at hand, making eye contact with her. A playful grin stretched out on his face - something that she had missed ever since things had started getting awkward between the two of them. And he was fine, as he had said. That is, until his foot slipped. Time slowed to a crawl as she watched her worst fear come to life, and despite his agility, he was unable to react in time. He fell, his body disappearing over the edge.

"Liam!" she yelled, paralyzed in fear from what she had just witnessed. Within a few seconds, she managed to ignore all other feelings and rushed to the edge, looking desperately for any signs of her partner. "Liam!" she screamed again, and the tears began to fall uncontrollably. She cried out his name over and over again, but no response came. The umbreon collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, her very heart shattered beyond repair. "Li-aaaam!" she wailed.

But this time, it was worse. She cried and cried, but unlike last time, Dialga wouldn't be able to bring him back. _I did this!_ she thought to herself. _I was mean to him! I treated him like… like crap! And now he's gone!_ After all this, and to lose him when everything was as it should be? It was worse than when she had lost him the first time. Her stomach knotted, and the sorrow and regret made her look over once more. _My… fault…_ she thought to herself, the dark thoughts from years before rushing into the front of her mind.

A _cling_ sounded from below, and she hurriedly looked over the edge. Liam was dangling from beneath, more than terrified, but hanging on. "Liam!" she yelled. He looked up at her, his breathing as frantic as her own. He firmly gripped an iron thorn with his right paw, and swiftly stabbed the one within his left a little bit higher, using them as picks to scale the cliffside. "Don't you dare let go!" she hollered, tears still clouding her eyes. She prayed that Arceus give him the strength necessary for the crucial task, and if she were granted this, then she would be content never asking for anything else ever again.

For what seemed like hours, the lucario scaled the cliff, slowly and with great effort. Even with the Space Globe empowering him, it was clear that he was nearing his limit. "You're almost there!" She stretched down, reaching for him. Though she was uncertain as to if she'd be able to really help him that much, she refused not to try.

Eventually he neared the edge, using the little remaining strength he had to hoist himself up. As soon as he was safe and secure - albeit a panting mess on the ground - she rushed into him. "Don't you ever do that again to me!" she ordered, still crying. "You hear me?!" All he could do was respond with a slight nod as he continued catching his breath, and she released her emotions into his chest. "I thought I lost you!" she wailed.

"I-I'm okay," he gasped. "Can't… say the same… for the bed…" She had noticed that the pack with the bedroll and blankets had not come back up with him, but it was the least of her concerns. She nuzzled him heavily, unknowingly streaking her tears through his fur. She was a mess, but she was an overjoyed mess.

"We aren't _ever_ coming up here again! Alright?!"

"Y-you said it…"

"Good…" She had about regained her composure after several minutes of letting it all out. But right now, she wouldn't have it any other way. She nuzzled his cheek, and, without thinking, gave him a swift lick.

"S…Selina?"

"Come on now," she said. "We are getting off this mountain _now_. Not in a few minutes - _now._ " Liam slowly picked himself off of the ground, dazed in more ways than one. She led the way this time, intent on finding the fastest non-fatal path to the ground. It hadn't registered to her what she had just done until they were descending, with the sun nearing the horizon. But rather than succumb to the tension, she was beginning to embrace it. No longer would she be beating herself up over feelings that she now finally understood - feelings that she had had for a long time. She refused to ignore the truth any longer.

She was in love with Liam.

* * *

 **Took long enough to figure that out, right? Anyways, next chapter will be out very soon.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:**

 **Not much to say here aside from the fact that I think y'all will really like this chapter.**

 **Also keep in mind that if you have followed or favorited, as well as reviewed, this story, then you can enter the free one-shot drawings that I hold. As of now, there is only one person entered.**

 **Special thanks to Orthros for beta-reading this chapter in particular.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

He hadn't been able to shake the event from his mind, finding himself recalling every tiny detail of the gesture on her part. As quickly as he'd realized what had happened, Selina had jumped up and demanded that they leave the area, continuing their journey North to Temporal Tower. _She just went and… licked me. I can't believe it…_ He couldn't make heads or tails of any of it, other than the fact that his entire life had flashed before his eyes when he had fallen. Had it not been for the added strength of the Space Globe, Liam wouldn't have been able to penetrate the stone with the iron thorns, and his attempt to avoid falling to his death would have been in vain.

And amid the chaos, he couldn't even believe what she must have felt. The lucario hoped never to hear her cry like that again, and it had struck him to the core. And he had to agree with her - amazing view or not, he didn't ever care to go up that mountain again. But that didn't mean that he had stopped contemplating what exactly had transpired up there. The umbreon had been more sensual than he could possibly have imagined, and the thoughts refused to leave his head. She had nuzzled him almost possessively, and his cheek still tingled each time he thought about her tongue brushing across it.

Yet she didn't seem to be concerned with it in the slightest. Quite the opposite, actually; she was happier now than she had been in the last few weeks. Really, happier than he could _ever_ remember her being. Aside from her usually cheerful self returning, Liam couldn't help but notice a new sense of joy within the umbreon. One thing was for sure, though: Selina had completely discarded any of the reservations that she'd brought with her to the island, and had become far more bold than before. Only a few days had passed, and now it was he who was constantly having to think things over.

In the distance, he could see Temporal Tower, stretching into the heavens with its former glory. Dialga had finished all the reconstruction last time they had been there, and the tower was certainly a more awe-inspiring sight now that it wasn't about to collapse.

They had reached the small pond where they generally camped near every trip. A creek originated about ten feet above, surrounded by smooth, moss-covered stones and depositing a small yet steady stream into the water below. The duo had noticed this place the first time they visited the island, but back then there wasn't time to enjoy it. Ever since they started coming back, though, Liam and Selina had found the place to be a relaxing spot, and a great area to settle down for the night. Not to mention it was somewhere that they could properly clean themselves.

Fortunately, the small bar of soap that they had brought with them had been kept in the side of the nearly-depleted food satchel, which he hadn't dropped due to it being connected to his sash. He had gone about setting up the tent while Selina went around and collected small sticks for the fire. By the time he had assembled it and pegged it into the ground, she had created a small pile that would last them several hours.

"Alright, I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to wash up," she said. Being dirty had always been one of her pet peeves, though it was the lucario that generally did a good bit of the work in scrubbing her down. Not that he minded at all.

"Sounds good to me. Ladies first?"

"Why thank you," she said, faking a snooty tone to the best of her ability. He smiled as they headed over to the waterfall, already knowing that it was about to be incredibly cold. On second thought, he should've started the fire so that it would be ready for them when they got back, but she had just stepped into the water, shivering from its chill.

"Ohhh… it's freezing!" she said.

"Yep," he said as he joined her in the water, hoping that he would be able to adjust to the temperature quickly. She trudged into the waterfall, the lucario following behind as she shrouded herself within it. He stood outside, and a moment later, a soaked umbreon peaked her head out towards him.

"Alright, I'm ready!" she said happily. He was just glad that she had started acting like herself again, though he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different as of a few days ago. He dipped the soap into the water, then began lathering it into her silky fur. She released a sigh of content as his paws traced down her body. "You've gotten so good at this."

"I've had a few years of practice," he joked.

"That you have." He brought the bar of soap towards her face, and she closed her eyes instinctively as he touched her gently, before slowly raking his hands down her cheeks and forehead. Once he had finished washing her face, he playfully tapped the bar of soap onto her nose, causing her to giggle. "Alright, you silly lucario. I can take it from here." He smiled, then turned around so that she could tend to the other areas that needed cleaning.

When she had finished, he stepped underneath the pouring water as she exited the pond, shaking herself off. He rinsed the soap before quickly scrubbing his body down, seeing her position the sticks for him to light. Her rings had begun to glow as the sun had nearly vanished, and just like every other time, Liam found himself marveling at the sight. "You just about done?" she asked, seeing him gaze at her.

"Yeah, I am." He let the waterfall remove any traces of soap from his form before leaving the pond. The lucario retrieved his sash from the ground, which had a thick, rounded piece of flint within. Using an iron thorn, he swiftly raked it along the surface of the flint, causing for sparks to shoot out in each direction. Only a few minutes had passed, and the pine straw within the pile had caught fire.

The two of them sat by the campfire, enjoying the heat released. Tomorrow they would reach the Rainbow Stoneship, where Selina's treasured 'relic fragment' still remained. That, and the last place he had seen Grovyle…

"Everything alright?" she asked. _Funny, I've been the one asking that for most of this trip…_

"Yeah, I'm just kinda thinking," he replied. "You know, we're gonna need to hit those berry bushes tomorrow. Maybe pick some apples while we're at it. We're about out of food."

"Oh, we'll be fine," Selina stated, nudging at the pouch at his side. "And speaking of food…"

"Right." He opened it, and they each picked out what they wanted before shutting the nearly-empty satchel. Liam ate quietly, his thoughts still pertaining to that moment on the mountain. The events played over and over again in his mind, from the sounds of her cries to that lick to his cheek. He couldn't get over that part. They had had countless gestures in the past, and he wouldn't hesitate to even call some of them affectionate. But licking him like _that?_ Even licking in general was something of a far higher magnitude than he had ever experienced before, and he couldn't tell if it had been done in the heat of the moment or if there was more to it. And he wasn't so clueless as to understand what the deeper implications could have been behind such an action.

Eventually the two decided to turn in for the night, though now they lacked either a bedroll or their blankets. He had apologized each and every time he had thought about it, but she would simply smile and say that she was just grateful that those items had been the only things to hit the ground. The lucario softly reclined on the grass, somewhat missing his bed back home. Selina laid right beside him, and to his surprise, gently lowered her head onto his chest. "S-Selina?"

"What? You make a good pillow. And besides, this isn't the first time we've done this."

"No, but…" He was dumbstruck by the display. The _only_ other time, and it had been an accident on the beach. But this… this was intentional.

"I'm not a bother, am I?" she asked.

"No… you aren't," he replied, his own emotions pulling him in what seemed to be a million different directions. Her breathing soon became steady, and he could feel it on his neck, serving to keep him far more awake than he had intended this late. With their bodies pressed together, though, he no longer had any concern in staying warm for the night. Now all he had to worry about was actually managing to fall asleep.

 **. . . . .**

By the time he had woken, it was nearly midday. Selina had already gotten up before him, which was rare, and was outside of the tent, sitting as she listened to the creek. He sat up, somehow having rested better than he'd ever imagined. "Good morning," she said cheerfully. "I couldn't bear to wake you up when you looked so content."

"I didn't mean to sleep in this late…" he said.

"Not to worry. I doubt Temporal Tower is going anywhere. Us, on the other hand, well… I'd say berry picking sounds like a great idea right about now." The two of them finished off the few remaining reserves before packing up the tent, heading North. It only took about half an hour to find just a few of the berry patches that the island had in such plentiful numbers, so the threat of being without food was nonexistent.

Selina stopped in front of a pecha bush, one of her favorites, and leaned forward to softly bite one off of its stem. "Mmm… there we are." Liam took at least a couple dozen before moving onto the next bush.

It didn't take him long at all to fill the satchel to the very brim, and before they had left, they ate their fill on the spot. What they had managed to pick would last them for about a week, and by then, they'd be back here again to fill up once more. He had ended up picking mostly pecha berries, as they were very sweet and had more sustenance within them than the other species. Then again, they also happened to be one of the berries that could pack weight on if one wasn't careful in monitoring their portions, though that wasn't much of a concern for the two of them given their lifestyles. While they were there, he picked a few aspera twigs, since it wouldn't be long before they ran out of those, either. The stems of the plant served as an oral disinfectant, and allowed for them to easily clean their teeth.

Aside from a few moments, though, the task had been almost completely absentminded on his part. All that he could think of was where things were headed between Selina and him. For the majority of the journey, she had been jumpy and skittish, especially when he had spoken to her. Granted, he still wasn't sure what he had said, though he was beginning to wonder among the few possibilities in mind. But she had reverted to her usual self after witnessing his nearly-fatal fall, and he couldn't figure out what had sparked the sudden change in attitude.

"Do you think Dialga has a hold on things now?" Selina asked. "I remember him saying something last year about his power still recovering."

"I can't imagine why he wouldn't," he replied. "It's been three years now since that whole incident."

"Yeah, that's true. That was quite a time, wasn't it? No pun intended…"

"Oh yeah, that's for sure. Though I'm glad all that stuff with Darkrai is done."

"Me too. I'm still surprised that we survived it all to be honest. We were so young…"

"That we were. But Arceus was looking out for us. That's pretty much the only explanation I can come up with," he said with a laugh.

"Well I know it's true. But aside from that, Grovyle said it right. We are the best of partners." He knew it to be true, and he heard it all before. But somehow, her saying it made it seem far more meaningful.

"That reminds me," he said. "We're getting close. We should pick some flowers."

"Of course," the umbreon said. The grass gave way to the stone brick path, and further ahead were the stairs that led the the top of the Temple of Old Ruins. As they had done the previous times they visited, Liam and Selina picked a few of the zinnias that grew around the temple for Grovyle. Selina hummed quietly as she picked the flowers, holding them in her mouth. It served to distract him, and the lucario found himself more focused on her than the task at hand. These last few days, _she_ was on his mind - even more so than usual - and at this point was the only thing that he could think of. Licking him, laying on top of him like she had… And now, he was admiring her from the side, his eyes tracing over her sleek, beautiful form. He shook his head, trying to remain focused.

"I think we've got enough," he said, hoping that she hadn't caught him looking. "You ready?"

"Mhm!" she replied, holding the flowers tenderly in her mouth. The two of them ascended the stairs, and though there was no drive to stop the world from falling to ruin this time, being here of all places was always a surreal experience.

They slowed to a stop as they reached the Rainbow Stoneship. Temporal Tower stood ahead, an impressive sight to say the least. They would probably depart tomorrow morning, as it would be dark by the time they reached Dialga if they left now. Instead, the pair decided to set up camp down by the lower courtyard, where the fight against Dusknoir had taken place. Memories of the vicious battle resurfaced within his mind, all up to the point where Grovyle had left, never to return.

In the center of the courtyard was the small shrine they had constructed. Having taken a few loose bricks here and there, Liam had been able to build a heap within the middle of the courtyard, fixed in place and with a large stick protruding from the middle. It had taken him nearly the entire day when he'd first made it, but the lucario had managed to attach smaller sticks and erect the symbol of Arceus.

Wordlessly, the two of them went about placing the flowers among the stones, decorating the grave that held no body underneath. There was nothing left of Grovyle, but that wouldn't stop them from remembering him and paying their respects. "Well?" Selina asked. "Aren't you gonna say anything?"

"I'm not sure what to say anymore," Liam stated. "That I miss him? That I'd like to just speak to him once more? It's all been said before."

"I'm sure he's listening. But… I guess I'll start." She stepped forward slightly, then looked up at the sky. "Grovyle… I know you're out there. Liam does too, but… you know him, difficult and all." The lucario rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, he's gotten into all sorts of trouble since you've left. But I'm sure you know about that. You've gotta be up there laughing at all this chaos he's started - meddling in elections and politics and all that. But… he's still our Liam, and I can't help but feel grateful that things are the way they are now. I don't know what all you did in the future you came from, but I know you helped shape him into the person he is today - you and Celebi. Thank you for that."

Liam placed his paw on her shoulder appreciatively. "Maybe you should've written Tristan's speeches during the campaign," he joked.

"Haha, whatever you say." He looked towards the shrine, and one thing that he hadn't previously said came to mind.

"I know the resolve we had coming back here. Of course, we're alive and all, and you know we did it. I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you two must've done for me. I guess that's some pretty lousy thanks after all those years of adventuring we must've had, but… it's the best I can come up with given everything that happened…" He looked at the umbreon to his right, then back at the shrine. "And in the off chance that _somehow_ you're out there… then you know why I… can't come back." The umbreon looked at him, a smile on her face. "I know you would understand, it's just… I can't lose them. I can't… leave Selina."

"See Grovyle? You can't have him. He's mine now," she joked. He shook his head, not knowing where this Selina had come from in the midst of everything. Not to mention he wasn't sure how to even respond to that.

It was still pretty early in the afternoon, but they decided to go ahead and set up camp now so they wouldn't have to later. This would be, after all, where the two of them would spend the night. They constructed the tent towards the corner of the courtyard in a small section where the brick didn't quite reach, and the pair sat down. It wasn't quite time for dinner, and there wasn't much to do.

"Hey now, why'd you go and toss your satchel in the bushes like that?" she asked. "That's our food!"

"What are you talking about?" Liam asked. "It's in the tent…" She looked at him in confusion, then over to her right.

"Then what is…?" She stood up and began walking over towards the object, with Liam joining her curiously. The umbreon grabbed something with her mouth, then pulled it out of the bush. An old, worn satchel came out, and the two of them looked at it in confusion.

"I… have no idea what that is…" he said.

"Are we… not the only ones to come here?" The question was a far more daunting prospect than he had hoped to consider. But there was no way Lapras would bring anyone else to the Hidden Land… right? He knelt down and unbuckled the latch, gently removing the contents from it. A luminous orb, some iron thorns to his surprise, and some various seeds and herbs that had long since gone bad. _This has been here for awhile…_ Then again, the mildew on the leather surface was enough to tell him that. But one large item in particular stood out, and he carefully removed it. A book.

"What on Earth?" Selina asked. He shrugged, then untied the loose string that bound it shut. Though the satchel it had been inside of was in poor condition, it had seemed to shield this book from the various elements that the island could throw its way. Liam opened the cover, and was greeted to the sight of small, neat handwriting. "What is that?" she asked.

"It looks like… a journal…" He was more confused now than he had been in a long time, and started scanning over the words. The months had unfamiliar names, and the year was not present, but his suspicions were confirmed after reading a few sentences. "Selina… this… this was Grovyle's satchel!"

"What?! You think so?"

"This had to be! He must've dropped it in the fight, and… we've been walking around it this whole time!" He held it so that she could see it, and immediately the two of them began scanning over the words. The journal looked to be a few hundred pages thick, but only a small portion of those had writing on them.

"But… this can't be his. He wouldn't refer to himself by name. So it had to be… mine…"

For the next hour or so the two of them flipped through the journal, but most of it seemed to be notes about the locations of the time gears and whatnot. A few sketches that must've been done to pass the time, which were actually of pretty good quality, but nothing aside from that. On one of the last pages was a large drawing of Grovyle and Celebi sleeping side-by-side, and Liam smiled to himself.

"Wow… this is all so…" Selina couldn't find the words.

"It's not much, but it's something," Liam said, closing the journal. "I didn't know I could draw like that. Guess I haven't really tried any time recently…"

"I'm sorry there's not more…" she said. "But why don't you continue it? Write down some of our new adventures."

"You know, that's not a half bad idea," he said.

 **. . . . .**

Once it had reached nighttime, they ate dinner and made a fire as usual. Liam had broken several small twigs and prepared them to make some charcoals, which he would use for the time being to write with. The prospect of continuing the journal actually excited him, and he was looking forward to his first entry.

"Those actually turned out pretty nice," Selina said.

"The only reason that's the case is because they're pretty easy to make," the lucario replied.

"Well do keep up with it. In the meantime, let's go up there," she said, motioning to the Rainbow Stoneship. "I don't know about you, but that beats that mountain view any day."

"Alright then." He set down the journal inside the tent and followed the umbreon up the stairs. She sat down in front of the Rainbow Stoneship so as not to activate it, and Liam took his spot next to her. Selina smiled at him, then gazed forward into the night sky. The sight was vibrant and astounding, the surreal tower beautifully illuminated by the moonlight and the countless stars. Above the light clouds, the various shades of violet marked the edge of the galaxy, and each year it had always the most breathtaking view imaginable - definitely beating that from the mountain that they would never visit again, as she had said. And it wasn't just because of what they were looking at, but because of where they were sitting.

Liam knew that Selina had gone through a lot in his absence, and had been equally hurt when he had nearly died days prior. For everything to take a turn like that, all during a time as peaceful as this… it couldn't have been a good thought for the umbreon. Her sobs had been pained and heartfelt, and he hated that it had come to that. But it was still that lick that weighed heavily on his mind over everything else. She had never done anything like that to him before, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Was it something done in the heat of the moment, or was there more to it? He wanted to know, yet asking such a thing could embarrass her, and that was the last thing he wanted, given that she had just recently broken out of the phase of awkwardness that she had gone through.

"I love it here," Selina said quietly. "Being here with you, Liam… it means a lot to me."

"Me too, Selina." He looked at the tower silently, remembering the vicious battle that had taken place on top. And Dialga stood there now, this time as a friend rather than a foe, and likely already aware of his two visitors' presence. But right now, the only concern within him was the umbreon sitting next to him, and the numerous emotions that he could read from her. Not that he wasn't feeling a lot of them himself. She looked more stunning in such a setting than he had ever realized, and Liam found himself staring with nothing short of adoration.

"Is… something wrong?" she asked timidly.

"No," he slowly replied, "not at all. I'm just… kinda at a loss for words right now. Other than beautiful…"

"I know," she said. "It's a night sky like no other…"

"I uhh… I wasn't talking about the view…" It took no time at all for the umbreon to avert her gaze, and immediately he felt the spike within her aura. But he could pick out one feeling he'd come to know these last few days among the others - the one that made him feel warm all over.

In a world as hostile and rough as this, she had always had his back, and he hers. Selina was the greatest thing to ever happen to him, and though he had a past that was unknown to him, the journey to this point had all been worth it. There were mistakes that had been made along the way, but he would bear with each and every one all over again if it meant making things the way they were right now.

"I know you don't like talking about this," he said, "but it needs to be said. Back when we were up against Dialga… I was more scared of leaving you than fighting him."

"Liam…"

"I know," he continued, "it needed to be done. But there was still so much I wanted to tell you. So many plans I had for the two of us… and then to think that it was all about to vanish along with me. And just a few days ago, I got to relive that fear all over again, only stronger."

"It's okay," she said. "We're both here now, and nothing's going to change that. I'm not letting you out of my sight again," she said. He smiled in response to her protective attitude, but he would feel the same way if the situation had been reversed. She knew the pain of losing someone that she held very dear, and she had just been exposed to that pain once again, so he could understand.

"Yeah, I know. But I promised myself after that fall that I wouldn't make that same mistake a third time." She focused intently on each word he said, her eyes fixed on his. It was his turn to break the gaze, instead looking out at the spectral scenery before them.

"O-oh? What are you talking about?"

"I mean…" he cut himself off, not knowing if he should continue. His calm and collected disposition threatened to give way at any moment. "Well, I've been thinking a lot lately. And… I think I've pieced together what I said that night I was drunk… With how you had been acting for awhile… it only leads me to believe that I said something about… the two of us." He slowly looked at her, and her eyes were still and fixed on his own. Each knew of the implications, and the deafening silence between the two of them was eventually broken by her.

"Liam… Is it true?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. There was no going back; he'd passed the point of return.

"Selina… I don't really know who I am. I had some sort of eventful past, and now it's like none of it ever happened. When I came into this time world, though, I had a brand new start. You found me on that beach, and you were all that I had. We've done so much together, and we built something great here. But with everything that we've done, it all leads back to you. Treasure Town, the Guild - Team Retribution, even - all of those have been projects. But you, Selina… you're my entire world…" He fell silent, and the indecisiveness was killing him. But the powerful words eventually forced their way out, albeit barely. "Yeah… i-it's true. I... I love you."

She said nothing, though the shock was evident from the look she gave him. He had begun to wonder if he had just struck a blow to their relationship, one that would make it awkward beyond repair, and a fear unlike any other had started to manifest itself within him. A fear that vanished when the small smile appeared on her lips.

"I-I didn't know it before, but… I've waited… a long time to hear those words from you…" She gave him a pure, heartfelt grin, and the joy within Liam could hardly be contained. Instincts that he didn't even know that he had took over as he drew her into an embrace, the two clasping one another. He came to relish the scent of the umbreon as he buried his nose into her neck, and she nuzzled him sweetly in return. Liam drew back and looked at her, with Selina giggling from sheer happiness. They closed the distance between them.

The gentle peck was sweet and innocent, with the lucario quickly retreating and pressing forth with more vigor. She opened her mouth, granting him access, the two of them passionately exploring their partner. Their tongues danced with one another's, and by the time she pulled away, both of them were out of breath.

"Arceus…" Liam said, the excitement bubbling in his voice. "Selina, I… don't know what to say!"

"I do," she said, before uttering the words that, just a few days ago, she would never have imagined herself saying. "I l-love you too… my mate." He claimed her lips again, unable get enough of her taste, or the small, subtle moans that she released as they made out. But his physical limitations once again caught up, and they heavily panted into each other, smiles plastered on their faces.

"I was… so scared," he said when he could finally speak. "All this time… I didn't want to ruin what we had…"

"Shhh, it's okay… I know what you mean. But how long have you felt like this?" she asked.

"Ever since we started exploring together, Selina." He had hidden the feelings for years, and now they were free to be released. Liam couldn't believe any of this was happening, yet there was no denying what they had just done.

"I… have felt the same way for some time," she said. "I didn't know, though… I wasn't paying attention to the signs…"

"Well I don't care," Liam said. "We're here now, and I couldn't be happier." He nuzzled her cheek, and they resumed their sweet lip-lock. Awkward as it may have been due to their muzzles, he couldn't have imagined it being more perfect. It was her, after all. "I've… wanted you for so long… You are the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on…"

"And you… you don't care? About being human?"

"Not one bit," he said, kissing her forehead. "And even if I were _still_ human, I'd feel like this. You're beautiful no matter what body I'm in." She nuzzled up into his chin, and the feeling of her fur against his own had become his favorite sensation.

"Alright, I better knock it off," he said, pulling away. "I don't want… well…" He was having trouble finding words to express his concern, but he didn't want to surprise her by revealing himself in such a way. Thankfully she caught the hint.

"Oh my! I didn't mean to—."

"No, no, it's not your fault," he said with a smile. "It's just… I haven't had to deal with something like this before…" There was no denying the pressure that he was feeling, and he wanted nothing less than to embarrass the both of them in such a way.

"I see," she said, before giving him a light peck on the nose. "Well, I would like to wait for some time before we do anything like that…"

"Me too. And besides," he said, caressing her cheek, "I'm fine just being like this with you… I'm okay with waiting however long you want." He stood up, and right as he did so, the umbreon got up on her hind legs, placing her forepaws on his chest. Liam wrapped his arms around her, and they nuzzled one another's cheeks, basking in the moment once again as they tenderly embraced each other in the moonlight.

They eventually returned to the tent, where the two resumed their affectionate gestures, claiming one another's mouths for what seemed like hours. Each time Liam looked into her eyes, he knew that he had found the perfect girl. They had both waited so long for this, and now that it had finally come to pass, he couldn't imagine going back to the way things were before. Selina touched their cheeks together - something that they had found that they both really enjoyed - before looking at him in surprise.

"Liam… are you crying?"

"No," he said. "…Alright… maybe just a little. I'm sorry, I'm just so… so happy…" She giggled, licking his cheek sensually.

"Aww, that's so sweet," she said. "My Liam… the bounty hunter…"

"I know… the others would give me hell for it. But I don't care," Liam said, claiming her neck.

"Mmm," she said as he softly kissed her, "you just… keep doing that…" Her purrs were music to his ears, the noises of happiness being something he wanted to hear for the rest of his days. He retreated a second time, feeling the pressure once again. As he did so, he bumped into the journal.

"Hey! I've got an idea. Kinda silly, but…"

"Oh? What is it?" He grabbed the journal and a piece of the charcoal, grinding it up into a fine dust in his paw.

"Here, give me your paw." She offered her front right, and he spread the black powder onto her forepaw. He skipped a single page after the last one with writing on it and laid it flat on the ground. Liam pressed his paw onto the page, and catching on to the idea, Selina followed suit. The two prints touched each other at the side, marking the first new addition to the journal.

"That's sweet. Now where were we?" Selina asked.

 **. . . . .**

Liam smiled as he listened to her soft breaths, rubbing her cheek gently as she slept. The umbreon had a smile on her face that hadn't left ever since they'd started this new journey in their lives. He stepped outside for a moment, noticing that the fire was nearly dead. Liam piled the rest of the sticks on before stepping back. Though he was about to join the sleeping umbreon once more, the lucario decided to open the journal and carefully grip a piece of charcoal in his paw. It may have been an awkward feeling, but he would be able to manage. It was by the light of the fire and the umbreon he loved that he made his first entry.

 _18th of Great Harvest, 1572_

 _I found this journal by the lower courtyard in the Old Ruins. Wasn't able to learn much from the other pages, but I guess I'll jot down whatever comes to mind. Arceus knows our lives are eventful enough to write volumes._

 _This trip has been far greater than anything I could_ _'ve imagined. I am now the happiest lucario (or human?) ever, all because Selina felt the same way. I love her with everything within me and have for a long time. Once we confessed, we began the first stages of intimacy, and I have already lost count of how many times we have told the other of our love._

 _I don_ _'t have much more to say than that, at least for now. Whatever the future holds, the two of us will face it together._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And that takes care of that. There is a finished picture of this scene, and if any of you would like to see it, just DM me. Hope you enjoyed what is probably the sweetest romantic confession in any of my stories.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:**

 **Now the aftermath of the confession, and finally some more insight as to what's happening back at the town.**

 **Also keep in mind that if you have followed or favorited, as well as reviewed, this story, then you can enter the free one-shot drawings that I hold. As of now, there is only one person entered.**

 **Special thanks to Orthros for beta-reading the chapter before publication.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

She woke to a gentle breeze, alone in the tent. Selina yawned, reluctantly rolling over and pushing herself onto her feet. Sleepily, she made her way out of the tent, looking for the lucario who was nowhere to be found. "Liam?" she called out, but no reply came. Wouldn't he be waiting for her? Unless… The very thought threatened to bring tears to her eyes. Had it all just been a dream? Her own fanciful imagination - could it have finally gotten the better of her? _No… please tell me…_ The umbreon couldn't bear the idea.

But then he appeared atop the temple, carrying as many flowers as he could possibly hold. Liam looked at her as she stood there, then just shook his head. He descended, and she walked forward to meet him. "What's… going on?" she asked.

"I was trying to make it back before you woke up," he said quietly. "…I'd even planned it out so well… I was gonna put these all around you, and…"

"Aww, that's so sweet!" She got onto her hind legs, embracing the lucario and causing him to drop the flowers. "Oh, I do love you, Liam. I was scared that it had all been nothing but a dream…"

"Funny you say that. I seem to smell more like you right now than I do myself…" He smiled, then pressed his muzzle to her own. She closed her eyes as their tongues brushed across each other, and they stayed that way for a moment. Liam drew back, then planted his muzzle into the crook of her neck.

"I cannot wait to tell everyone back home," Selina said. "I know Flora already knew, and I get the feeling that Eleanor did too…"

"Ah, Eleanor," Liam said with a laugh. "You know, she's really gonna tear into me when I come clean."

"Probably," Selina giggled. "But she cares for you and looks out for you. Just run any ideas by her to begin with and she won't get upset."

"Of course. Legendaries - always wanna be in control," he joked. "But yeah, I'll get better about it, if only because you asked me to." She nuzzled him appreciatively before releasing her embrace. Immediately she missed the contact, but there were things to do today other than getting intimate with her partner. No, there would be plenty of time for that later.

They sat down and had breakfast, sharing the berries in more ways than one as they periodically kissed. Less than a day into all this and she already couldn't get enough of the lucario, nor he of her. All this anticipation for so long…

"You've got something right there," Liam said.

"Oh?" she asked

"Here, I'll get it for you." He leaned in and licked beside her mouth, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright, that was sly. I'll get you back for that!"

"Really? Well I look forward to it." He ran his hand along her side, drawing her close into another hug. "Are you ready to head out?"

"Yeah, let's go see Dialga," she said. "And climb those… fifty thousand stairs…"

"Eh, we've done worse."

They went about packing up the camp, and Liam folded up the tent before tying it shut. Instead, though, he put it on his own back. "Oh come on," she said. "It's not really a bother…"

"Then you wouldn't mind if I carried it, right?" he asked. "To be fair, it _is_ lighter than all the bedding that I dropped."

"Alright then, have it your way," the umbreon said, though more amused than anything else.

The two of them climbed the stairs after pausing in front of the 'grave' once more. In a year's time, they would visit again. Truth be told, she had more than a few questions regarding the supposedly non-existent future, and had ever since they had spoken about the matter when riding over here. But she kept those thoughts to herself in fear of raising false hopes within her mate. _Ha… my mate…_ Even the very thought of the word made her fidgety, but she smiled nonetheless. Unbeknownst to Selina, her tail had started wagging.

Once they stepped foot onto the Rainbow Stoneship, it had started trembling, and the mystical stone began to levitate. Liam took a seat towards the center as it climbed higher and higher, and she sat against him. "Ah, you know we're safe," he said, putting his arm around her.

"I know… that still doesn't change my opinion on heights, though…" She looked up at him, a playful grin stretched on her face. "So, are you gonna keep me safe?"

"Always," he said, kissing her cheek.

— — — — —

 **Rachel**

— — — — —

"Good work, guys. I think that's about enough for today." The police had gotten far more skilled ever since the training had started, and between her and Raymond's crew, they were learning from the best. Rachel had divided them into groups based upon similar body styles and weights and had gone over some of the more broad tactics that worked regardless of typing.

But they were becoming a force to be reckoned with, and a massive improvement from where they were before. Pretty soon, they wouldn't need to rely on hiring bounty hunters and hired fighters to protect the town - they'd finally be able to manage on their own. Now, though, there was about to be a lot more to protect…

The road to Capim Town had already been completed, and the one between Treasure Town and Roseview was already nearly finished. Despite Roseview's smaller size, Tristan and the others had found a way to make very good usage of the area. Cecilia had traveled to the small village and had done a bit of research into the surrounding areas, finding that the nearby soil was perfect for agricultural purposes. While food was not going to be a concern for some time to come, it wouldn't be long before Capim Town wasn't the only settlement that they'd need to provide for. Tristan suspected that food had been the primary reason that Desert Village had joined Valmor due to their inability to grow most crops on their own.

Meanwhile, there was starting to be a debate as to whether or not they should reclassify Treasure Town as a city. There wasn't a set cutoff in terms of population, but it was starting to get big enough to the point that maybe the name change might be in order. The population was currently a little bit under eleven thousand, but far more growth was expected in the upcoming months.

None of that was her concern, though. All she really was focusing on was the missions and the police training. Though it wasn't as exciting as tracking down and apprehending criminals, the rescue missions with the other members of the team was rewarding in a completely different way. She was glad that she was able to assist the ampharos, and his leg seemed to be healing quite nicely. Gavin and Bianca headed back to Capim Town shortly after they had arrived, and the lucario hoped that they were doing well.

In the meantime, though, there were other matters to attend to. Rachel needed to purchase a few things for the house, groceries being the first priority. She left the police station and headed towards the market, recognizing a few new shops along the way. _Yeah… there's no way they'll be calling this a town much longer…_

After Rachel had purchased the few things she needed, she noticed Kangaskhan in front of her shop, sweeping away the dirt brought up by customers. She made her way towards the storage building, greeting the large normal-type.

"Rachel, wasn't it?" Kangaskhan asked.

"Yes ma'am. How have you been?"

"Things have been great. I haven't seen you all in awhile," she said.

"Yeah, we've been pretty busy, that's for sure," Rachel replied. "We barely see Tristan anymore, especially since he's out recruiting new settlements into Valmor, and Liam and Selina will still be at the Hidden Land for another two weeks."

"That's right, I remember him talking about that awhile back. Those two lovebirds head out for a month while the rest of the team is out working hard," she said with a laugh. "No, but seriously, they deserve it."

"Wait… what?"

"Oh, you didn't know? It's been an open-secret for years…"

"I… did not…" Rachel admitted, slightly defeated.

"Aww, I recognize that look. I've had it myself a time or two before. Don't you worry about a thing, honey - the right guy is out there for you somewhere."

"Ah, it's okay. I'm a big girl," the lucario said with a slightly forced laugh. "I figured that there was a shot, and I was gonna take it. But maybe I was mistaken…" Kangaskhan finished the chore at hand and set the broom onto the counter. She leaned against it, smiling at Rachel as she continued.

"Of course, there's a chance that we're wrong about it. I haven't personally seen them display any signs of affection, so you may still have a chance. But I do not want you to get your hopes up, only for them to be shattered later. But enough of that talk, how are things going with you? I heard that you've started training the police force." Rachel nodded.

"Yep. They're getting a lot better, that's for sure."

"Good to hear. I remember looking at some of those guys a year ago, and I'm pretty sure I could've taken a few of them myself," she said with a laugh. "But I'm glad that you have found something to do here. Things are changing here, and I was uncertain when I'd heard of the election, but… I'm impressed with what you all have managed to do…"

"Ah, well I appreciate it ma'am," Rachel said. "But really, it's mostly Tristan. Him and Liam from what I've heard. At least, that's what everyone says. I've heard some talk that he's running a lot more than he's letting on…"

"I wouldn't be surprised," the normal-type said. "That boy is always hiding something. He's a real sweetheart, though. I've known him ever since he came over here and he's always trying to look out for everyone. He's the reason I haven't gone out of business…"

"What?" Rachel asked, surprised.

"He technically owns my store. He and Selina found some sort of big treasure down in some ruins down South, and ever since then he's purchased everything from Sharpedo Bluff to Duskull's."

"Wait… he… owns the _bank_?"

"Mhm. Funny, isn't it? That same boy that came here without anything but his name, and now he's worth millions."

"…Damn…"

"I've never seen someone as generous as he is, though. He doesn't charge me a thing, and I was still struggling to make the payments on the property before he bought it. He has been incredibly wise with his money, and yet it doesn't mean a thing to him…" She looked around to make sure that nobody was listening in, before speaking quieter to the lucario. "Word around town is that he's been the one paying for some of these big stunts that Tristan's pulling."

"Oh? Really? What makes you think that?"

"People have been talking. There's no way the monthly taxes are enough to pay for fields, roads, and police training all in the same month. He's someone who could afford it, and given that his subordinate is the one in charge…"

"That's an interesting theory," Rachel admitted. "But it would make sense."

"Personally, I don't care which one of them is calling the shots. I just hope that they keep making the decisions that they are." She went inside her store, then came out with a small version of the banner that donned Tristan's colors. "Almost forgot about this…" She hung it on the small peg beside her shop, causing the lucario to laugh.

"It's a nice touch, I think," Rachel stated.

"Sure is. Now I've gotta close up shop in a few and be on my way."

"Understood. It's been nice talking with you," Rachel said.

"You too, sweetie. Be sure to stop by soon!"

She headed back to her house, a lot on her mind at the moment. Liam hadn't been the only reason she'd wanted to join the team, but she'd be lying if she said that she hadn't been interested in the possibility of a relationship. But if it wasn't meant to be, then there wasn't anything that could be done about it. Being illogical and childlike about the matter wouldn't solve anything. And Kangaskhan was right - she would eventually find someone. The only difficulty, though, would be finding a male that was on her level, and he had been the only one that she had seen for some time.

But what was more important, though, was the fact that he seemed to have the town in his very paw. That is, _if_ those rumors were correct. Working for Tristan, she couldn't help but be curious as to whether or not it was true, and perhaps she would ask the luxray the next time she saw him. _How did he even get into a position to own the bank?_ she thought. She trusted Liam, but she did have to admit that if one wealthy individual was pulling all the strings in Treasure Town, then there might be cause for concern. And who was to say that was even the full extent of things? The more she thought about it, the more questions arose.

She reached the door to her house, which was about two hundred square feet in area. It was certainly large enough for everything she needed in a home, and much larger than the average residence here. Rachel had made a decent living in her line of work, one that she was hoping to continue. The house was a few minutes' walk from the main intersection, and out her front window, she could see a few people at work on the southern entrance to town. She watched as two pidgeots flapped in place as they hung Valmor's banner from the top of the gate.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

"Ugh, I'm glad we're almost there," Selina said. It had taken several hours to ascend the tower, but the couple had nearly reached the top. The large, winding stairway was massive on account of Dialga's size, and it made it more of a struggle for the two of them. Admittedly, this wasn't either of their favorite part of the trip, but the few days they spent with Dialga was always worth it. For such a massive, powerful person, he was quite friendly - especially since he wasn't trying to crush them this time around.

"Hey, at least we don't have to fight our way up," he joked. The more Liam thought about it, he could hardly believe that they'd had the strength to take on the deity after such a daunting series of fights, but they surely had by some miracle. Now, having known to expect the duo, the tower's guards let them by without any issue at all, some of them even greeting them.

They stopped to have a quick lunch, and he examined the walls of the tower as he did so. Everything was so ornate, and it seemed that everywhere he looked, a different story was told. Engravings were spread throughout the building, their craftsmanship impressive and irrefutable, and it was always interesting to try and figure out what was occurring in the pictures, as he could not understand the language that was written on the walls. Though Selina seemed to take more interest in watching him look around like a curious child.

"Ready to go?" Liam asked after they'd finished eating.

"Not really, but we may as well." She was the first to rise to her feet, stretching out after the break. The umbreon grinned, though, and lightly pressed her nose to his, and Liam leaned forward and kissed her. "Mmm, I love you Liam."

"And I you." He didn't follow it up this time, though, as he doubted that any of the guards who might have been nearby would want to see their displays of affection, which the two of them had discovered could get incredibly intense. He loved the umbreon unlike he'd loved anything else before, and Liam couldn't help but admit that he looked forward to the eventual consummation of their bond.

Within another half hour, the final few stairs came into view, and the afternoon sky was visible. The exhausted duo appreciated the sight, and Liam already began to remove his sash. After all, he didn't want to greet a person of such prominence wearing weapons. The lucario set it towards the steps as they walked out onto the pinnacle.

The legendary stood tall, looking off into the distance as the chilly wind blew through. Each of the tall, white pillars had been rebuilt, and the smooth stone brick had been laid once again. He stood there silently as Liam and Selina approached him, staring at the five Time Gears embedded within the pedestal. "My two friends… I have awaited your return," Dialga said. His voice was deep, filled with power and authority. They both kneeled in respect as he turned around, seeming to shake the very structure as he did so. "Please, there is no need for such a display. I am not the Almighty."

"It's good to see you, Dialga," Liam said. "How have things been?"

"My strength is returning. Gradually, but it is indeed happening. Though as things currently stand, I am nearly powerless over my own domain."

"Wow," Selina said. "So things must've been pretty bad back then…"

"If you are referring to the events of three years ago, then that is true. Darkrai came uncomfortably close to succeeding in his plan to ruin the world." Dialga gradually trudged forward before lowering himself onto the floor, sitting casually in front of his two guests. "It has taken everything within me to keep the fabric of time in order. Right now, I lack even the most basic abilities that I was granted as I devote my strength to making sure that something like that never happens again."

"Dang. So you can't even look into the future." Dialga shook his head, releasing a loud, rumbling laugh.

"Pathetic, aren't I? You seem to have more ability in that matter than I. But I feel my strength coming back to me, and it will not be much longer. My descent was one that took years, and it will take years to recover. But I am sensing a massive abnormality in the stream of time."

"Now if you exist at all times… then how come you aren't aware of what is going on in the future?" Selina asked.

"There is only one who truly is omnipresent, as you both know, and it is not I. I can travel throughout time and I have been granted dominion over the subject, but I have my limitations. I am not a god."

"So wait… how were you able to bring Liam back?" Selina asked.

"In a feat that surprised even myself. I was not certain that I would be able to accomplish such a thing, but I felt the need to express my gratitude to the two of you for your roles in saving the planet. I know that must have been a daunting experience for you both, being children when you fought me."

"Well, I don't think I've told you how much I appreciated that," the umbreon said, before nuzzling Liam. "Especially now…"

"So the two of you are mates now, I assume?" They nodded, and Dialga smiled in response. "I cannot say that I am surprised. Even if I had the full extent of my strength, I would not have needed it to foretell the development of such a bond between the two of you. But I also require you both to have control over any urges while you are within this sacred building." Liam laughed, though Selina looked away in slight embarrassment at the implications.

"Of course. You have nothing to worry about there," Liam replied. "Now I did want to ask you about something. You mentioned an abnormality within time? Should we be concerned?"

"No. It is not one that should frighten you, nor I for that matter. But it is something that I have never encountered before. It would appear that there is a split within the fabric of time - two different futures - somehow created in a period long from now. I will examine it in great detail once I am fully recovered. I feel myself in multiple times at once, but until I can travel through dimensions and my consciousness expands throughout all time once again, the knowledge will elude me."

"That sounds… kinda complicated," Selina said.

"It is often difficult to understand the intricacies of inter-dimensional physics," Dialga said.

"Yeah, you aren't kidding," Liam said.

"I have a theory regarding this abnormality. But I do have my reserves about revealing it in fear of raising false hopes within you, Liam."

"I appreciate that, Dialga. I can take it, though."

"If you insist." He lowered his head onto his front legs, looking at their level. It was kind of a funny pose for such a mighty being. "When the two of you fought me, I was weaker than I should have been. With what little bit of conscious thought I had within me, though, I could feel it. I was fighting in the future as well."

"You… what?"

"Somebody else was engaged in combat with me. Or several people. It was a great distraction that made it easier for each side to win, both yours and theirs. I am uncertain as to who the others were, but I feel it may have been those from your future, Liam."

"From… my future?" the lucario asked.

"Those who similarly originated from the period in which you came from. That also happens to be around which the distortion in time has been created."

"Meaning… they might not actually be gone…" Liam said quietly.

"That is what my suspicions are," Dialga said. "But I am unsure." The lucario looked at his mate, who seemed equally as surprised as him.

"Arceus…" he said. "Selina… they might still be alive…"

"Is there any way we can get in contact with them?" the umbreon asked.

"Not for now," the colossal dragon said. "But you have my word that I will reach out to you when I can. Though currently, I am limited to this very tower. I do wish that you would keep in mind that this is all but a theory."

"Of course," Liam said with a nod. _Wow… if they're still out there…_ But why wouldn't they have been told about this sooner? Had Dialga been withholding the information these past few years, or had he been weakened to the point of just recently learning about this distortion? Whatever the case, it didn't really matter now - all that he cared about was the fact that there _might_ just be a chance.

 **. . . . .**

They talked with the legendary until dusk, filling him in on what had happened in their lives - the new member of the team, the events of the election, and the new direction that Treasure Town was heading in. He took great interest in their experiences, inquiring about each and every detail. He was very questioning about Liam's interference, but understood why the lucario had done what he had, leaving the topic on the note that he should not be meddling in matters that were none of his concern. _Of course he'd take Eleanor's side,_ he jokingly thought. But both he and the cresselia had a point, and Liam had already vowed to stop his secretive actions.

Eventually, though, Liam and Selina got tired, particularly after having spent hours climbing the tower. They already knew which room they could use, and the two of them wished the legendary a good night - though he didn't exactly sleep - before heading downstairs. The lucario folded the tent over itself, then again once more to make something a bit more comfortable than the stone floor. She laid down on the makeshift bed with a sigh, before looking at her partner expectantly. "Are we gonna have a repeat of last night?" she asked.

"You know it," Liam replied.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:**

 **Another really important chapter here that hints at a lot of stuff. That's all I'll say about that.**

 **Of course, there are the one-shot drawings that are available. If you follow/favorite the story, then you are able to make a request in the _One-Shot Collection._ Stories tend to be over 20K words. **

**Special thanks to Orthros for beta reading the chapter!**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

Trade caravans were now passing through the crossroads each and every day, with shipments of various types traveling among the four settlements. The road to Desert Village was about halfway done by now, and with it, people from the distant town would be able to arrive with far less difficulty. Though Desert Village lacked natural resources or a suitable environment for agriculture, they did offer a fair amount of more advanced services, alongside the fact that there were a few bounty hunting teams within the area that could be hired out if the need arose.

Meanwhile, he had already given out the orders to have land leveled for the creation of additional fields within Roseview, and Cecilia was overseeing things over there. If everything went according to plan, then he'd be able to feed several additional territories in the case that other settlements wished to join. Now that the luxray actually had something going, he could have people sent out to offer annexation into other towns. Though right now, he might want to hold off a bit - between the police training, the start of the fields, the road construction, and the recent offer, he had reached the limit for spending within only two weeks, and had already used half of Liam's allotted funds.

But those were but small issues, and hardly of concern. Tristan had something growing here - something he could be proud of, nonetheless. The luxray had devoted more of himself than he knew possible to making all this work. Everyone around knew it, and despite his youth, he had been regarded as one of the most successful leaders in the continent. The combined population among all of the settlements now under his rule greatly surpassed even Obsidian City, similarly placing him in a position of power the likes of which had never been seen before. Granted, he knew that something like that needed close overwatch - he didn't want to become tyrannical like the Guild had, after all. His refusal to make any policy decisions without the input of the elders would keep him safe from that possibility.

The training had just about concluded, too. Already the officers were far more skilled than they had been prior, and before long, they would be able to take on jobs much like a team would. Having a competent police force had been wishful thinking just a few months ago, but the luxray had made it happen with the help and support of his friends. Rachel, in particular, had been a massive help, volunteering hundreds of hours of work for the cause, and often times directly after getting back from a mission. _That gal is something,_ he thought, shaking his head. His interest was only platonic in nature, but he admired both her work ethic and skill. Liam would have been a fool to turn her offer to join the team down.

As always, though, something else needed his attention. Right now, his focus would be best diverted towards the speech that he was supposed to be giving in a few minutes. The police had nearly finished gathering as many people as possible around the town square, though there was no chance that everyone would be able to hear him. Tristan stood on the elevated platform, looking out over the sea of people. Every species that he could imagine, and as far as the eye could see. At least one part of this announcement shouldn't come as a surprise.

Eventually everyone managed to settle down, no doubt eager to find out just what they had been called here for. Tristan smiled upon seeing a particular fennekin and his mother, both of which waved. He returned suit, then began to focus on the matter at hand as everyone fell quiet. He saw his chance and gave them the news.

"Thank you all for being here today. I know the frequent announcements must be getting tiresome, but I do feel like it's necessary to tell you all exactly what's going on and what causes your money is going towards. For starters, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone. Over the course of that election, the people as a whole chose what was right over what was temporarily convenient, and just a few months later, look where that has gotten us. Borders are expanding faster than we could ever have imagined, and now there are a total of fifty-seven small settlements that have joined Valmor, including three major ones, and as of this morning a fourth. The Nest - a large village of about two thousand flying-types on the eastern half of the country - has expressed their desire to join the state." The crowd applauded, and the luxray looked happily around, seeing several people holding the banner of Valmor. Flying his very colors.

"Looking at the map, this means that Valmor now covers about a third of the total landmass within the Grass Continent, and the population of our state is now over five times the size of the great Obsidian City - probably even more - once all the uncivilized are included. That's just our estimates, since we don't know how many people are still living in the woods. But with the rise of this civilization has come a movement into _all_ of the settlements unlike anything ever witnessed before. That leads me to one of the main points today: Treasure Town… can no longer accurately be called a Town. Not with a population of twelve thousand." The people were looking around in shock, but something like this had been coming for some time. The fact that there had to be people relaying his message to those far away from him should have been evidence of that enough.

"The elders and I have spoken a great deal about the matter, and though it seems like only semantics, changing the name of this settlement carries far higher implications. After much discussion, it's time we name this home of ours Treasure City." He waited for the cheering to die down, and an occasional flamethrower was shot into the air, causing the luxray to laugh. But once he was able to speak, he seized upon the opportunity, hoping to get the next words out before the joyous chaos could continue. "My friend Aidan just handed me the reports yesterday. My approval rating among you all is currently ninety-four percent. So really, we've only got six percent of a problem," he joked, causing everyone to laugh. He smiled, then shook his head.

"In all seriousness, though, I'm glad that you all have given me this opportunity. But this isn't my doing. Yeah, I'm putting in the hours, and I'm having the meetings, but I can't take credit for Valmor." He looked out over the population of this new city, his expression beaming. " _You_ did this. It's your tax money that spurred everything onward, and within a month, we'll have more of it than I could even figure out what to do with. I mean, what else can be done here? The police have become a force to be reckoned with, food isn't ever going to be an issue again, and business is flourishing. So the elders and I have decided that the next project… is to make this place the next wonder of the world.

"I know word gets around fast, and no doubt many of you are aware of the crew that I have had sent over to Obsidian City. They are all architects, and their goal is to observe the structures there - particularly those with multiple floors. Obsidian has done well in their construction, and so we will be taking a similar approach. We can always expand outwards, that is true, but within another decade, space may be an issue, and I would like to prevent that from happening in the first place. There's still a lot to be discussed - that's for sure - but I think that within the year, we should be able to begin the construction of far larger buildings around the main crossroads. So with all that said, that about wraps up the main topics that I wanted to mention to you all. I want everyone here to feel proud of Valmor, as none of it would have been possible without each and every one of you."

The speech had concluded, and most of the people had gone about their business, though there was no denying the sense of pride within the air. Many people stuck around to ask questions, which Tristan and his associates had prepared for, devoting the next hour to just that. Throughout it all, the luxray couldn't help but feel appreciated and respected, and it felt nice. Within the span of a few months, his list of accomplishments had already surpassed those of Torkoal's - or any other leader across the continent for that matter.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

If they wanted to be there when Lapras arrived, then they needed to be on their way. After saying farewell to the legendary - who promised to visit once he was able, which would likely be within a year or so - the couple began their descent of Temporal Tower. This part was admittedly easier than the journey up the massive structure, though he wouldn't want to be one to fall down so many stairs. But on each floor, the murals served as great entertainment value. Powerful creatures - most of which he didn't even know - engaged in all sorts of battles. Dialga had explained that each was a prophecy, the vast majority of which were yet to come.

Though what had piqued the lucario's interest was that there were, in fact, many humans that shared a similar circumstance to himself. Though he knew not why a barely-present species within this world had been relied upon in several cases to save it… But he did wish to pay closer attention to what he had been overlooking these past years, as the legendary had said that many of these instances had already been prophesied millennia ago, including Liam and Selina's battle with him. He had mentioned that it was on the fourth floor, with each one spanning over several thousand years, and the spire covering the end times. Those walls in particular showed nothing to them, but Dialga had mentioned that such information was never meant for mortals in the first place, and thus they lacked the proper eyes to see the future events.

He peaked out one of the tall windows within the structure, seeing the ground still a long ways down. "No! You step away from there right now!" Selina barked. "I'm not taking that chance again!"

"Ugh, I'm sorry. Just wanted to see how much longer we've got to go. Safe to say we'll still be at it for a half hour…" He stepped back, much to the umbreon's comfort, and she nuzzled him appreciatively.

"Why don't we take a break, then? Besides, I've seen you eyeing these pictures like a pup."

"Well you gotta admit that they're pretty cool. I mean just look at _that_ ," Liam replied, motioning towards a particularly large depiction. What looked like an asteroid was closing in on a green, serpentine creature as he towered over a charmander and a chikorita. "Seems sorta like what we had to do, right?"

"It sure does, love."

"Speaking of which, Dialga mentioned that our mural was on this floor, too. Let's see if we can find it." Though there were a considerable amount of depictions of lucarios. For such a rare species, they sure seemed to be prominent across the world. Liam had already noticed about a dozen or so on various floors, most of them leading armies or rebellions from what he could tell. But without being able to read the language inscribed throughout Temporal Tower, educated guesses were as close as he could get to understanding what was going on.

"Alright then. But let's hope it doesn't take too long," Selina said. "I'm about ready to feel grass underneath my feet again."

"Yeah, same here."

They walked around, Selina occasionally nudging his side playfully. Every once in awhile they passed by one of the guards, and most of them weren't exactly the social type. But as long as they weren't attacking them this time around, the lucario didn't have a problem with it.

Selina was the first to notice the large depiction of their battle, and she trotted up to it with Liam close behind. "Wow…" she said, impressed by the detail. There were large blocks of text underneath the picture, though they weren't the main focus of the duo.

"Look at that," he said quietly. "Ha, I even remember when we did that move, too." The mural showed the small eevee dodging out of the way as the crazed legendary smashed into the pillar. The riolu, on the other hand, had leapt off of the crumbling structure and had launched an aura sphere which was depicted halfway between him and the legendary. Liam remembered it all like it was yesterday, smiling at the sight. "Who would've thought that the two of us would've been capable of such a thing?"

"I definitely wouldn't have," she admitted. "But I'm glad all of it happened. Right now… being with you like this made all of it worth it."

"Alright, you're determined that we're gonna make out every ten minutes, aren't you?"

"Well you certainly don't seem to complain," she said with a grin, before hopping up on her hind legs and placing her forepaws on his chest.

"Of course not," he said, gently claiming her mouth. He embraced her, and she drew back, nuzzling into his neck. "Arceus, I love it when you do that…"

"Which is why I keep doing it," the umbreon said, pressing her nose to his. Liam ran his hand down her sides, having fallen in love with her sleek figure. But he knew that some things were worth waiting for - particularly in such a place. And they had decided to hold off for some time, too.

"Hey, I've got an idea."

"You always have ideas."

"Yeah, well this is a good one." She hopped down, and the lucario started rummaging through his satchel. He pulled out the journal, which currently had several small entries that he had made. Most of them admittedly about him and Selina… But this one was going to be different. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sketch like he had before, but he wanted to at least make an attempt, and this particular mural was of a lot of importance to the two of them. He sat down and went to work.

For a few minutes, he sketched the basic details of the scene, Selina looking at the picture as he did so. "Hey… that's not bad at all, Liam!" she said once he'd finished. "You've still got it!"

"You think so?"

"Absolutely! I'd like to see you make a few more." He rubbed along her back appreciatively, before getting back onto his feet.

"Well, I guess we can stop sightseeing. After all, we kinda lived it."

"We sure did," the umbreon replied.

The two of them began towards the stairs, which were on the other side of the floor. Every time Liam had devoted even the slightest bit of thought towards how things turned out, he couldn't help but smile. She had chosen him too, after all this time. He had been far too scared to say anything, but it had all been worth it, and now all sorts of new questions had manifested themselves within him. He didn't really know where to go from here, if he was being honest. Liam hadn't seen himself making it to this point. But now that they _were_ here, he needed to sort a few things out - particularly since he had never been in a relationship before.

"Hey… Selina?"

"Mhm?"

"I was kinda wondering… well, about us…"

"Well me too, but go ahead," she said happily.

"Are we… I mean… do you want to s-start a family?" The very thought made him feel warm inside, aside from the fact that it came with certain implications. She shyly looked at the ground, and he'd wondered if he'd embarrassed her with the question.

"I… I do. It's funny… Marvin asked me something similar awhile back…"

"He did?" Liam asked.

"Yes. He wanted me and you to… to get him a brother…" The lucario laughed, earning a sheepish look from his mate.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just… how in the world did you react?"

"I didn't know what to say. Would you?" she asked. "For him to just go and say something like that… sheesh…"

"Well… we can't disappoint our kid, can we?" Selina head butted him, but it was impossible to ignore the smile she had on her face. "Hey now, I wasn't saying we had to rush into anything like that…" he joked.

"Of course not. But… I do wish to start a family with you, Liam. Or… expand our family, I guess… Just when the time is right."

"I'm honored that you would choose me, Selina," Liam said, meaning the words from the bottom of his heart. "I couldn't have possibly come across a more perfect girl. You have been my motivation to be a better person for a long time now."

"Liam… you're trying to make me tear up, aren't you?" she asked. The two of them would have likely followed up with their affectionate gestures had it not been for the lone salamence slowly treading through the hallway. "Later," she said. "Then you're mine."

"Giving me something to look forward to when we get outta this tower," he replied.

The stairs had come into sight, and the two of them made their way towards them. Liam locked eyes with the umbreon, and the two of them sincerely smiled at one another. It was then that he noticed an odd mural on the wall behind her.

"What is it?" Selina asked, turning around. "What in the…"

"Would ya look at that…" he muttered. "That's… well, that's a pretty badass scene, gotta say."

"Hey, watch your language in here," she said. "But… it is rather intense…" It was yet another member of Liam's species, but this depiction was far more unsettling.

The lucario stood against a massive foe - an eight-headed dragon, and one that fit the descriptions of no creature that either of the two knew of. He was missing all of the spikes that the species was known for, and wielded two curved blades, facing off against his enemy. Each of the heads had vivid yellow eyes as though they were staring into their enemy's very soul. A few words were underneath the picture, and one large one on the monster's chest.

"Whatever's going on there, I wouldn't wanna be him…" Liam said. He quickly retrieved the journal once again, thinking that this scene would also make for a great addition. Though he could likely fill up the entire book with interesting depictions throughout the tower, this lucario captured Liam's attention for several reasons. Even on the wall of the structure, the lucario's red eyes seemed to radiate his rage, and both his swords had blood along their blades. He sketched the picture, not with as close attention to detail as he had for the other, though he did decide to write the word over the beast's chest for whatever reason. "Alright, I'm done now. No more drawing," he joked.

With that, they continued their descent of Temporal Tower, eventually making it out a little past noon. On the Rainbow Stoneship, Liam laid back, knowing it would take a few moments for them to reach the temple. Selina cuddled up to his side, and they nuzzled one another sweetly as the ride continued.

"I'll never get enough of this," the umbreon commented.

"Me neither. You've got me looking forward to 'expanding' our family, as you put it." The umbreon placed her muzzle to his, giving him a quick peck before drawing back, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Liam… I don't know how humans did things… and I know that some species out there are polygamous… but if we do this, the two of us are paired together for life."

"I don't know," the lucario said. "I mean if I find a cute little braixen or something on the side… kinda hard to resist that, you know?"

"Liam!" She smacked him on the forehead, and he broke out into a fit of laughter. "I can't believe you would go and say something like that…" Selina tried to hide the smile, but it was a futile effort.

"Ah, come on sweetie - I could never dream of loving anyone other than you."

"Much better," she said with a smile. He slid his arms around her, pulling her in for a soft hug, and she nuzzled underneath his chin as he rubbed her sides. His paw brushed along her hip, and the umbreon looked up at him and giggled. "Getting a bit adventurous, are we?"

"That wasn't my intention…" He moved his paw back upwards.

"No, that's okay," she said, shaking her head. "I rather enjoyed that. You're always so… sensual…"

"Well you give me a reason to be," he said, pressing their cheeks together. "I love you so much, Selina." She licked his cheek, and before either of them knew it, their muzzles were pressed against one another, with the lucario drawing her in for a deep kiss.

— — — — —

 **Zane**

— — — — —

The last customer of the day had been taken care of, and the zoroark had decided to close up shop a few moments early. After all, there were still several projects that needed to be completed before long.

Business hadn't been much of an issue for Zane, particularly due to being on the edge of Lively Town. Though why it was considered a town at such a size was beyond him, but he supposed that it didn't really make any difference one way or another. The zoroark grabbed the small set of iron claws for the growlithe that had ordered them and sat down by the grinding wheel. He still had yet to bind the blades to the main bar, which had been fitted for the fire-type's front right paw. Though why anyone would want only one and not another for the opposite paw was beyond him. _But his money spends all the same,_ Zane thought as he sharpened the blades.

Despite the line of work, the zoroark had found that this was very soothing, actually. And besides, it wasn't like he was selling his weapons to bad people or anything. His main clientele consisted of rescue teams and the like. It was a dangerous world out there, and his services were needed just because of that.

Once he had finished his work with the three blades, Zane grabbed them carefully and headed for the leather strip, already mentally planning out his next task. He dipped his clawed hand into the bucket containing some red powder and rubbed it along the surface of the leather, giving it a slight coat before setting two of the blades onto his desk. Many in his occupation did not go to these lengths to ensure a sharp blade, as it generally didn't take long to rust or dull given the tendencies of those who would purchase such things. But he took great pride in his work and wanted his clients to be impressed with his craftsmanship. So far, that was the case.

As he drew the blade down the leather strip, he began to wonder what he would do with that special metal that had been gifted to him. A medium-sized ingot, it was told that it had been made by some master smith in the Air Continent, though he wasn't sure if he believed any of that. One thing was for certain, though: the alloy was significantly harder than any other material than the dark-type had made weapons with. The zoroark had been able to melt a small piece of it, but it was considerably difficult to break that piece off, and even harder to get the forge hot enough to melt it. But the small knife that he had made from the material was one that he always had on him, and it had served him well over the past few weeks. It hadn't lost its edge despite all the punishment he had inflicted upon it.

But perhaps he should only be dealing with one thing at a time. By now, Zane had finished the final blade, gently tapping the edge and finding it to be to his liking. The next part was to bond it to the main bar, which would be on top of the growlithe's paw. He had made the bar with three slits on the side so that he could fit the blades inside, though the openings were ever-so-slightly smaller than the edges would allow. Yet that was all part of the plan, as he knew from experience that the iron would expand during the heating process, and he would carefully insert each of the three blades inside, to which they would be stuck for good. Though he wasn't about to start such a miserably hot process at such a time. Maybe tomorrow.

After that, he moved on to one of his more odd requests. A marowak who often took jobs around these parts had taken to the metal weaponry that Zane had created, particularly after his bone had snapped from use in the field. The ground-type was known to be a good guy, though he was a tad bit on the quirky side. He had requested an iron club, though the top part had spikes that branched out in four directions, each curving downward to end at a sharp point. But at two and a half weeks of salary, the zoroark wasn't about to turn down the strange job. He only pitied anyone who would be on the receiving end of such an instrument. The majority of the work for this piece still had yet to be done, but he had figured out how he'd go about creating such a weapon.

Zane had been at this for six years now, and he was known to be the best in his field around. To think that he'd simply picked up the skill within his desperate search for some sort of career, stumbling upon an old infernape by the name of Emmett as he had nearly closed up shop for good. The fire-type hadn't been concerned about Zane's past, and instead taught him everything he knew, finding one final project in teaching the unskilled zoroark the art of blacksmithing. Before he had passed on, though, he had left the forge and everything he owned to Zane. The dark-type missed Emmett and the conversations they would have late at night.

Not a day went by where he didn't wonder how differently things may have turned out had he taken a different path. Despite all the mistakes made along the way and all the hardships faced, though, he supposed that things didn't turn out too bad at all. _No… I can't complain. Beats rotting in that cell any day._ But that was all so long ago. He was financially stable now, and given the way things were going in the Grass Continent, Zane had considered the prospect of moving back. Of course, he still preferred to give it some time after what had happened there, but it might have just been his tendency to overthink things. And who could blame him? That's all there was to do behind bars.

He shook his head, coming to the conclusion that he was likely being paranoid. His business would thrive if it were anywhere near Treasure Town or Obsidian City, each being the two main economic powerhouses of the country. All he would need was to pay a few water types to help him ferry his equipment across the sea. Well, that and a loan from the local bank so that he could get his own place. That hadn't worked out so well last time, but surely if he tried now, he would have better luck. After all, he doubted that anyone would recognize him as Red anymore.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:**

 **Sorry for the wait. Much of my spare time this past month has been devoted to the recent one-shot. While it was being edited, I was able to get this chapter out.**

 **One other thing that's worth mentioning is that I was informed that a particular paragraph towards the end is one that's uncomfortable to read. I would advise everyone to tread with caution when reading from Bale's perspective. At least, in this chapter.**

 **Anyways, h** **ope you all enjoy!**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

— — — — —

 **Eleanor**

— — — — —

The cresselia sighed to herself, hoping that the situation would be resolved. It wasn't that large of a problem yet, but it was one that had brought uneasiness to everyone who knew of it. The nation had grown far quicker than its ability to protect itself, even with the better training that the police had received. Outlaws had caught on to the newly established trading routes, some of whom had decided to ambush unsuspecting travelers. It was an issue that needed to be dealt with sooner than later. Of course, that had presented the difficulty.

Tristan wasn't exactly sure how to go about fixing this at first. Many suggestions had been offered, and he and the elders had considered them all, but the one conclusion that they reached seemed to be the only thing that Valmor lacked as a nation: a true military.

The cresselia was saddened that it needed to be this way, but the fact of the matter was that there were bad people out there willing to harm others. They needed to ensure that those people were not able to threaten the citizens of these various settlements. The luxray had begrudgingly agreed to this, though nobody really knew where to start. He had the news spread amongst each of the five settlements: Valmor was offering to pay people for protection. He and Aiden had crunched the numbers, and they had figured that it would be something that they could fit into the budget, though it would be a never-ending expense. They needed people, though, and that was what he was currently occupied with. Tristan had just left earlier that day to head for Amp Plains.

His intention was to try and persuade the uncivilized within the area to join Valmor. If they did so, rather than pay taxes like the rest of the settlements, they would receive the full benefits of the new nation in exchange for their service. There were many electric packs that roamed the area, several of which were of his own species, and if anyone would have luck in convincing the population, it would be him. They were expecting this to take a month or two, seeing as to how the luxray would need to track down all the local leaders.

That left her in charge once again, this time for awhile. Eleanor did not despise the fact, but she was always hesitant to accept the role. It was no secret that the legendaries were of holy origin, and she found it far more preferable for someone of her prominence to lead by example, not by status. It was frowned upon within their community to engage in affairs such as this, but she wasn't left with much of a choice. She was the most powerful member of Retribution, and likely the most trusted person within Treasure City. No doubt Arceus would understand the position she found herself in, but she still wished for Tristan to return soon.

 _This is so strange,_ she found herself thinking. Only months ago, they were worrying about saving the town from an upcoming disaster - a relentless criminal who brought ruin and despair wherever he went. Even Liam - who had ensured them that this outcome would occur - would hardly believe how far things had progressed in his absence. _They should be back in a few days…_ The cresselia laughed, knowing that he of all people would be in complete disbelief. After all, he had left when this place was called Treasure Town, and Valmor wasn't even a thought at the time.

But speaking of the lucario, she had not let him off the hook yet. She had begun to wonder if the rumors were true, and despite the fact that he had assured her he'd keep his influence out of politics back when he'd been caught during the election, she wasn't so sure if he wasn't still hiding something. It pained her to distrust her friend, but she knew him to be a fickle person, and she didn't doubt that he had some ulterior motive. _He always does._ She just desperately wished that he would be more open about it. Liam had a good heart - that much was clear. Eleanor had been able to sense that from day one. But he was over his head in certain matters, and the stubborn lucario felt that he always knew what was best.

With the morning sun to her back, Eleanor looked out over the newly-named city, watching as the construction took place from the mountain. The settlement had become far more active than anything she'd been able to imagine, and she had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, it was nice to see Treasure City thriving, and certainly not having to be concerned with necessities such as food. But part of her felt like the area had lost some of what made it unique. The quaint feel of what once was a docile maritime village had been replaced with the bustling crowds that she'd expect in only a few other places in the continent. It was a change for sure, though she wasn't quite certain if it was a welcome one. The citizens were all seemingly happy with it, though, so she supposed that she shouldn't really dwell on it too much.

"Miss Eleanor?" Aidan asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Is something the matter?"

"Not at all," she replied with a smile. "I was simply thinking."

"Oh. You were kinda staring off into space," he said. "Anyways, how do you feel about all this?" He motioned out to the city.

"It is a lot to take in, that much is certain. Tristan has taken to the role of Advisor quite well." Of that, the entire team could be most proud. He had really stepped up and taken charge, even when many of them had their doubts that he'd be a suitable candidate in the first place. Eleanor was sincerely glad that he had proved them wrong.

"Yeah. I've seen a lot of powerful people in my day, but… I've never seen one that doesn't consider himself above the average person. He speaks to everyone as an equal. That's… not something you see a lot."

"From what I have witnessed in my lifetime, it is exactly those types who make the best leaders," Eleanor stated. "I worry about him, though. He seems so eager to prove himself… but I doubt anyone needs convincing of his level of dedication to the position at this point."

"I know," Aidan said. "He doesn't eat like he should - I know that much. Or sleep, or even take time out of the day to really enjoy anything. He concerns me, too." The typhlosion looked back at the campsite, seeing nobody watching them. Most of the elders likely weren't even awake at this time. "I just wish he'd tone it down a bit. He knows it's not good for him, but… well, I'm just looking forward to when he'll have a few more people under him so that he won't need to run around all the time."

"I agree. I am always willing to help, but you of course know my reason for wanting to stay out of politics as much as possible," she said.

"Of course, Miss - and it's a respectable reason at that. It would be nice if everyone out there were half as noble as you."

"Oh, you give me far too much credit," she said with a grin. "Of course, legendary or not, I am far from perfect. All of us are, really. All that there is to do is be as good a person as you can - for Arceus, for others, and even yourself. I try, but… I make mistakes at times, just like everyone else."

"Really?" Aidan asked. "If you don't mind me asking… what do you mean?"

"Not at all," the cresselia replied. "I fear that I lose my temper, particularly around a certain someone… It is not that I mean to. I love him dearly - as one would their own kin - but we argue a lot. I feel that our relationship is good, but I wish that we could see eye to eye on more things…" Aidan nodded in understanding. "I think that part of him knows that his ways are wrong. But he's far too stubborn to back down, and… so am I."

"You must mean Liam," he said quietly.

"Yes. And I am aware of what the two of you did back during the election," she stated. He looked down, clearly ashamed that she was aware of his intervention - all for the sake of a little money. "I understand why he felt he had the need to act, but… there had to have been other ways."

"…I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely audible. "I… it wasn't right, no… He happened to find me when I needed money. I… I'm sorry, Eleanor." She placed her hand on his shoulder, responding with a heartfelt smile.

"You're a good person, Aidan - and Liam is too. I do not want you to think badly of him. We all fall short from time to time."

"I guess so," the typhlosion said. "It felt… wrong. Kraven was evil - that much is clear. But… what if he hadn't been? What if Liam had been wrong about it? We… I would have just helped rig a debate against someone innocent."

"Then you see why I am opposed to his methods," she said. "Liam is incredibly complicated, even for one of my age. I have never seen one who can behave in such contradictory manners."

"How so?" Aidan asked.

"I've seen him give unconditionally to those in need, and save countless people in rescues. He's personally donated vast sums of money to ensure that Treasure City thrives, and yet… he rigs elections and mercilessly kills outlaws. He can act one way for a moment, and then flip to something else entirely. I often wonder if he has split personalities. He has a good heart, but he shuts it away at times - for what reason, I am not sure."

"O-oh…"

"It is only against those that deserve it, in his mind. Of course, those tend to be murderers and other vile individuals, but it is not for anyone to feel that they are above the law." She shook her head - that was enough of that. "Anyways, I feel we've talked enough about grim topics. What is on the agenda for today?"

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

4th of Colored Trees, 1572

 _The time has nearly come for us to leave the island. Lapras should be here within a few days, and the two of us will have quite the story to tell him, and he will likely come bearing news of his own. The wellbeing of Treasure Town and the others have both been on my mind this past month. As I do each year, I miss the team and cannot wait for our reunion._

 _I have worried over Tristan's position, though. I keep wondering if the allotted amounts were enough to provide for the town. We both knew that the current tax rates would not be sufficient for the causes he had in mind. But maybe what I left him wasn't enough either. I guess we will find out one way or another._

 _Aside from that concern, though, this has been undoubtedly the best month of my life. All the fame and wealth that I have accumulated over the years pales in comparison to what Selina is worth to me. One thing that I am greatly anticipating is the adjustments to our home that we have planned - mainly a bed for the two of us. I will readily admit that will likely be the most welcome change upon our departure. Of course, that hardly compares to what we eventually have in mind. The talks of expanding our family have become increasingly more numerous during our return from Temporal Tower. Marvin might just end up getting that brother he wanted._

 _This entire trip has felt like a dream, and if it is, I do not wish to wake up. I know I have made many mistakes in the past, but Selina has always been understanding and kind. From the very start, she has had some sort of power over me, and I cannot help but abandon any possibility of doing wrong around her. Perhaps that is another reason I need her. I'm sure Eleanor would feel similarly._

 _I feel like this is enough for now. I will likely make more entries in the near future. Not like there will be much to do on the ride home, anyways._

Setting the journal in his satchel, Liam was sitting up, though he was contemplating resting with the umbreon for another hour or so. It wasn't like they had anywhere to be today, after all - they were already near the southeast corner of the island. He hadn't realized it, but her eyes had slowly opened while he had written the entry, and she was currently blinking sleepily. "Good morning."

"I was wondering what happened to my pillow," she joked.

"Yeah, well we can get back to it if you'd like. Not like there's much else to do anyways."

"Nah, I think I'm up for good now," Selina said, rolling over onto her belly. "So what's the plan?"

"I dunno, you tell me. Aside from sitting there and looking cute." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, receiving a gentle nuzzle in response. "I feel like we probably should do something since we're about to leave and all."

"I think getting back will be the best thing for us," she stated. "Look at us, lazing about…"

"I know," he said with a laugh. "A job or two would do us a lot of good right about now."

"You're telling me," the umbreon replied.

"But then again, this has been the best month of my life. Kinda sad to see it come to an end."

"Oh don't be silly, Liam. Things will only get better from here on out. I just can't wait to tell the others…" He smiled in response to her eagerness.

"And you said they all knew?" Liam asked. "Was it really just the two of us who were ignoring the signs?"

"I… am fairly certain," she said, shaking her head, before flashing him a sincere smile. "But none of that matters anymore." He drew closer, and she met him halfway, both of them nuzzling their partner tenderly. Every time he felt her fur against his own, Liam couldn't help but lose himself in the feeling, clasping the umbreon against him. "I love you," she said. Each and every time, those words were the ones he relished most. Liam pecked her softly on the lips, and she responded in kind. Liam stroked her cheek as they gently acted on their affections, eventually sliding it down her side and pulling her into a tight embrace, going to the ground with her. The umbreon looked surprised, but he quickly claimed her neck, kissing it deeply as he held his mate against him.

"That was nice…" she whispered. "I'm so happy, Liam, that we can be like this…"

"You're the best thing to ever happen to me. I love you so much…" Selina nuzzled him in return, and this time it was her maw rubbing the lucario's neck. She stopped though, and inhaled while her face was pressed against him.

"Anyone who gets close will be able to tell," she giggled.

"Then I guess that cute braixen out there will know that I'm already spoken for," he joked.

"Oh yeah she will. She's gonna have to wait in line. You belong to me now," Selina stated.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." Liam tensed up as her tongue drew across his cheek, and a warm growl emanated from him. He caught her with her mouth still open, pressing his tongue into the umbreon's maw. She was taken by surprise, but soon pushed back, the two of them taking the breath from their lover. Despite initiating the kiss, Liam let her take the lead, wanting to feel her explore his mouth. She obliged, giving him the sensation that he found that he couldn't get enough of. Selina dominated his mouth, and before he knew it, her tail had started waving sultrily. The slow wags and half-lidded eyes were getting to the lucario, and he found himself lost in her gaze. He could have remained like that forever, had it not been one small thing.

In the rush of their loving gestures, Selina's tail brushed against his crotch, causing his body to stiffen up. She looked at his face in confusion, but then put the pieces together. "Oh! Liam, I… I'm so sorry…"

"I-it's okay…"

"I promise! I wouldn't have done that on purpose! Honest!" She clearly felt bad about the situation, as indicated by her shameful tone.

"I know, and… I'm fine. I just… I thought we were gonna wait a bit longer is all…" he stated.

"Y-yeah… I want to, but… but then I go and do something like that… I would never have tried to trip you up like that, love…"

"Hey, accidents happen."

"Of course." She nudged his cheek lovingly. "Oh I do want you, my mate. I just… I wish to have our union blessed before we… you know…"

"Perhaps by Eleanor?" he asked, receiving a nod in return. "Of course. I was thinking the same thing as well. We have something beautiful going on here, and there is no need to rush anything that's worth having."

"How did I end up with someone as wonderful as you?" Selina asked. He shook his head.

"I could ask the same thing. With some of the things I've done, I'm surprised you would still have me. I have always tried to do right, though I know many of the others disagree with my methods. But you have looked past all that. You are far more than I deserve."

"Oh Liam…" The umbreon kissed him once again, this time on the forehead. He tenderly embraced her, and it took no time at all for them to get caught up in another round of sensual nuzzling, coating their partner with each other's scent. "I must stop at once," she said. "I'm beginning to test my own resolve…" She stood up, much to both of their dismay, and stretched out within the tent. "For what it is worth… I look forward to becoming one with you."

"And I you. I lucked in to the most beautiful, loving creature on the continent. I am honored that you would choose me, Selina."

After they had fought off the urge to take each other, Liam and Selina rolled up the tent and packed up the campsite. They reached the shoreline that they had arrived from, where the two of them would await their friend's return.

— — — — —

 **Bale**

— — — — —

 _Four more months…_ To the very day, at this point. It was for a stupid reason, in his opinion, as to why the date was so prolonged - to give them time to think over what they did, and make themselves right with Arceus. It was stupid, but he was not about to argue over what little remaining time he had. On the fifth of Articuno's Touch, he would be executed for his crimes. He had used every trick in his arsenal by now, and with the increase in the local guards, the possibility of escape seemed to have dwindled into nothingness. The jail keeper - a magneton that Bale knew he could easily take - levitated on the other side of the iron bars. He could see the keys on the steel-type - so tauntingly close. But taking those would be impossible in his current state: chained to the the wall, with only enough length to make it from his bed to the bucket in the corner. There was no way out.

Perhaps none of this should have come as a surprise. It wasn't an uncommon predicament for people like him. He could remember starting out with the small-scale stealing, and then the raids. Under Kraven's employment, Bale had made something of a decent living for himself. _Well… as much as that counts as a living…_ The safety net was no more, though - word had it that the honchkrow had been captured and killed. And besides, all that had been years ago. No doubt Kraven wouldn't have paid a visit with his crew to break these three out, even if he were alive. _I suppose it doesn't matter._ He wasn't so sure that Kraven could even stop what was outside of these doors anyways. Bale had landed himself in one of the most secure prisons in the continent.

Part of him wondered how things may have turned out. Bale had actually been geared towards a living in the ministry of all things, growing up under a particularly religious family. But he had discovered that he enjoyed the forbidden pleasures that life had to offer far too much for such a career choice. _No, if there was some sort of god out there, he would've done something when the planet was nearly destroyed._ As he progressed, the very idea of the religion that his parents had became silly, and then something he hated them for. Though by now, the feeling was likely mutual. Upon hearing of their son's incarceration, neither wanted to see him. Not that he wanted a visit, anyways.

It was four years ago when he had surpassed the moral boundaries of a simple thief. He could remember the night as though it were mere moments ago. The howling wind and torrential downpour - his least favorite part of the whole thing; and the fight between Bale and his crew and the males of the caravan. He was at a type disadvantage, but Bale had managed to kill two of the ferocious galades on his own. Torin had not been so lucky, catching the bladed arm of another in his neck, and despite the druddigon's thick scales, it had not been enough to protect the artery. Though they had prevailed, Torin died on that raid.

It didn't make much of a difference to Bale. The druddigon was dull and obnoxious, never able to strategize beyond the next breath. A fool, but one capable of taking hits. _Well, until his fucking neck was opened up._

Clement and Murtagh were both rummaging through the crew's goods when one of the four survivors attacked. He had watched as her eyes went bright, and Clement violently spasmed, clutching his head and screaming as though nails were being driven through his skull. Bale immediately sprung into action, striking her in the face and breaking her psychic hold over his ally. She rolled over, trying to push herself up, but it was too late. He had swiftly sank his claws into her throat, lifting her off the ground as he ripped it out.

The blood had never bothered him, nor the terrified cries of the three others. It was another heist successfully pulled off. Had it not been for a sideways glance over the two kirlias and the one remaining gardevoir, that's all it would have been. But the older psychic-type had caught his eye, and Bale had remembered then how long it had been.

That night, he could not deny the fact that something had changed within him. The rush that he had gotten as he violated her - the surge within him as she screamed and cried. Bale had come to love every second of it, and even looking back at the event now, he smiled, seeing the broken, whimpering psychic-type pinned down beneath him. It had been a feeling of control like no other, and one that he looked forward to experiencing in the jobs after that, if time or convenience allowed for it.

Neither Clement or Murtagh said anything about it, though he could tell his tendencies made them uneasy. _Maybe that was for the best,_ he thought. _Surely they knew who was in charge, remaining silent like that._ And he didn't really care how they felt about the matter, just so long as they didn't intervene.

And the three of them had been smart about it all, too. Until they took that one job. They had never considered protective services, but with the money being offered, the opportunity was far too much to pass up. Though Bale was often wondering if they could count on this other outlaw paying what they had agreed to, and whether or not he'd need to kill the bug-type. But one thing at a time, and he seemed to hold his own in a fight and then some. Bale and his crew had decided to trust that the client's words were good, at least for the moment being. _And it was all going well enough… until those fucking bounty hunters showed up…_

He thought that the four of them would have been a match, but it was only later that Bale discovered that they stood no chance against the duo. His eyesight was stolen from him, and seconds later he heard the client cry out in pain. Bale didn't have the time to react much, other than viciously attack the general area in front of him, hoping that it would hit the unseen targets. A violent blast of energy collided with his face, and he remembered being slammed into the cave wall, unable to understand how such a creature possessed such great power. The attempts to block and strike back were futile as he was subdued as though he were nothing more than a child, and Bale clenched his claws together, angry just from the memories of it all. When everything was said and done, the client had been killed, and the three of them awoke to find themselves in cages, surrounded by more officers than he'd ever seen in a single area.

His run had been put to an end just like that. "Those two fuckers…" he murmured to himself. Bale stared up at the ceiling, sitting on the rigid wooden cot. He had replayed the scene countless times in his head, wondering if there would have been anything that they could have done to result in a different outcome. But it had all happened so fast, and none of the four of them had been able to react before the two bounty hunters had violently subdued them. If things were going to end in such a way, Bale would have at least wanted to take one of them with him. But he hadn't been that fortunate.

Bale snapped out of his thoughts as the the loud footsteps approached the prisoners. The aggron acted as the overseer of the jail, and personally came for each meal to ensure that they didn't escape. That much wasn't surprising - there had been a large bounty on them. Had they been able to connect Bale's crew with the actual amount of heists and crimes committed, they probably would have been worth several hundred thousand each. If there was one good thing that had come out of their arrest, it was that the two bounty hunters responsible for bringing them in hadn't been paid nearly what the crew was worth.

"Meal time," the aggron, who went by Garron, stated flatly. He opened Bale's cell, setting the bowl within his reach, before slamming the iron door shut once more. After two weeks ago, he had become more cautious around the outlaw, who had tried to strike out, hoping to get him in a position in which he could hold him hostage and demand to be let go. That had gone about as well as one may have expected, resulting in him being struck with such force that Bale was surprised his chest didn't cave in.

Bale grabbed the bowl, noticing that the murky stew that he particularly disliked was on the menu today. If it weren't for the fact that he was hungry, it would never have been something he'd consider eating. Yet using the small metal utensil within, he began to eat the bland food. When he had first been transferred into the jail, he had immediately considered using the utensil as a weapon next time someone opened that door. But of course they had already planned for that, and if he did not return it when he was done, then he wouldn't receive the following meals.

Clement received his stew in the next cell over, followed by Murtagh. Not many words had been exchanged among the three of them ever since they had arrived in the jail. Bale did suppose, though, that they were as close to friends as he had - if that was even the appropriate term to use. Once he had finished eating, he set the empty bowl and utensil as close as he could to the gate before returning to his cot. He supposed that a nap wouldn't hurt right about now, given the fact that there was nothing else to do.

Bale laid back, and reflected on all the events that had brought him here. Perhaps there was some room for regret, though he had long stopped caring about the arbitrary morals set by society or its false religion. Of course, he couldn't help but think what his life would have been like had he stayed on the path that he was encouraged to take. He certainly wouldn't be here now, that much was certain. _Oh well, not like it makes much of a difference now..._

Eventually, his thoughts came to rest, and the blaziken drifted off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:**

 **Here's another chapter for the story. A bit quicker than I usually upload, but this one didn't take long to type out at all.**

 **Special thanks to both Orthros and Fawkes Kleiffen for editing and pointing out several mistakes.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

Dark clouds loomed overhead, and lighting stretched across the sky in wicked crackles. The thunder seemed to shake the very earth, though it was a regular occurrence in the area. The luxray of all people should know; this had been his home prior to joining Retribution. He had watched Liam and Selina with great interest when they had ventured past, being only a luxio at the time. Tristan had found himself unable to look away, and ended up following them for the larger part of the mission. They had subdued a tauros who had demanded ransom for a hostage, the two of them accomplishing the task as though it wasn't demanding in the slightest. Tristan had looked upon the fight with nothing short of adoration, and even he was a powerful inhabitant of the plains.

To his joy, the pair had accepted his request to join them. Looking back, it had likely come across as more of a plea. The luxray was desperate to join them after what he had seen, knowing that he had wanted more in life than what Amp Plains had to offer. And seeing as to where he was now - leading a party of thirty individuals through the territory that he had once called home - he would say that he made a good decision.

Lightning struck in the distance, crashing to the ground amid the darkness. It had been the third time within the past ten minutes in that specific location. It didn't take a particularly smart person to understand what would be waiting for them. "There will be at least one of the nomadic tribes over there," Tristan said to the crew. "We'll need to proceed with caution, but make sure not to come across as threatening. Many of the folks here don't take well to outsiders, and if we come across as a threat, then we may just ruin any chance of coming across with our proposition. Keep in mind this is already a long shot."

"Of course," a charmeleon stated. They did have one advantage, though, and that was Tristan. He was a former local, and his presence would most likely serve to ease things up a bit - particularly seeing as to how he was in charge of the group. That is, if the packs they encountered were members of his own species…

"I hope you're right about this, boss," a skarmory said. "This crew does not have many innate advantages against electric-types. If they attack…"

"Had I selected a large amount of ground-types, they may have interpreted it as a sign of hostility. That'd just as quickly lead to a fight, and that's the last thing we need. I'd like to have these people on our side…"

"I see. I apologize for not understanding…" the steel-type replied.

"Oh come on, it's not like that at all. It was a valid point. Y'all can always ask me if you question anything that I do. I'm not gonna be upset if you don't see eye-to-eye with me." He looked over at the skarmory, who nodded, with a slight smile from the bird. "As for the combat aspect of things, I feel confident that we will be able to take care of ourselves, even if a fight is to break out. But any chance of getting these guys to work for us is depending on something like that not happening."

A jagged streak of lighting stretched across the sky, and the winds were picking up. Tristan's hair stood on end in response to the tremendous electrical fields emanating from nearby. They were getting much closer.

"Tristan, didn't you come from around here?" asked another member of the crew, this one being a female sandslash. "There are definitely many within your species native to these parts…"

"Yes, I lived here prior to joining Retribution," the luxray replied. "Though I did not belong to a pack. I remained on my lonesome until Liam and Selina met me."

"Did you ever encounter these packs?" she asked.

"From time to time, yes," he said.

"What were they like?"

"Most of them were aloof. Very standoffish, but they were fine if you left them alone. I have encountered individuals from the packs when they were on their own and conversed with them. They were just like any other group of people, I would say. They were born into that clan, and so they would remain there. Just as anyone else, they wanted to get by." He watched as another bolt of lightning crashed ahead of them, and he could already hear the howling in the distance. "Speaking of which… I'd say we've found one of the manectric groups." He had heard the sound several times in the past, and generally wanted to avoid them prior. But this time, that wasn't exactly the goal.

"Didn't Retribution fight one of these groups awhile ago?" the charmeleon asked.

"Liam and Selina did - over three years ago. It was all resolved peacefully… in the end. But just to be on the safe side, I wouldn't mention Retribution at all - only Valmor. No doubt they've heard of the country by now," Tristan said. "…I was personally hoping to start things out with the packs of my own species, but we were going to attempt to recruit electrikes and manectrics sooner or later."

"How many belong to this pack?" asked the sandslash.

"It depends. There were four last I knew. Three of them had between fifty and a hundred members, but the last had well over seven hundred. That was when I lived here, at least."

"What the fuck?" asked the skarmory. "There are like… forty of us, Advisor…"

"I am aware of this. I doubt that all of those individuals will be in the same area at once. Also keep in mind that many of the females do not fight, nor the elderly, and the young ones are also included in that number."

"Still, don't you think we might just be getting into… I don't know… a situation we might not be able to deal with?" He noticed that several of the others were looking around nervously, some of them whispering amongst each other.

"No. Whichever pack we encounter, they all abide by the same hierarchy. In the worst case scenario, I can challenge the pack leader for his position. I do not wish to do so, as that is not the relationship I want with these people. But if their intentions are hostile, I will be left with no choice."

The Valmor crew approached the area of interest, and already he could see nearly a dozen electrikes heading towards the area, some of whom had taken notice of the visitors. _Great, it's them…_ It wasn't exactly a secret that Tristan's species and theirs clashed in Amp Plains, often for access to optimal lightning grounds and feeding areas. He had already been prepared to put that aside, though, for the greater good. Packs would by far be the most ideal method to create a military, as the unison had already been taught. "If any of you are hesitant to do this, you may head back now."

"That's not gonna happen," a machamp said. "We're backing you on this, Advisor. I only hope that they may be reasonable."

"Me too," Tristan murmured. "Me too…"

They entered the woods, greeted by the piercing stares of multitudes. The luxray was already beginning to have second thoughts about this; there were far too many present for this to be anything but the largest of the manectric packs. _Great… just fucking great…_ But he trudged forward through the heavily swaying grasses, his eyes fixed upon the powerful-looking manectrics in the center.

"Who do you think you are, trespassing into our territory?" the apparent leader snarled. _Here we go…_

"I mean no harm towards you or your people," Tristan stated, "and we have come here seeking to make an agreement."

"I do not care what your reason is for coming here, but you have brought your own pack into danger due to your ignorance. You are all surrounded, and yet you seem to have the audacity to remain in our presence. You are either a fool, recklessly bold, or both."

"Yeah, probably," Tristan joked. "But look, there is no need to be uncivil about this. If I had any intention of taking anything from your people, or held any sort of prejudice against you all, then I could have had this place overrun several times over. Your pack may be strong, but it pales in comparison to that of Valmor." The large manectric stepped forward, and those around him parted, making way for their leader. He stood several yards away from Tristan, very clearly sizing him up.

They were about equal in height, but it was clear that Tristan bore more muscle - a result of being one of the most effective bounty hunters in the entire continent. The manectric, on the other hand, seemed to be past his prime, but still bore the stance and sharpness of one who could hold more than his own in a fight. His eyes, though, lacked the fiery crimson color that most others of his species bore. Rather, his were a gentle brown, despite his mannerisms. "So then you represent that new force that has spread across the land. You have taken cities, from what I have heard. And now you have come to take over us, haven't you?"

"No - nothing like that at all!" Tristan said.

"Who is the leader of this Valmor pack? I find this intrusion most inappropriate," the manectric stated.

"I am," the luxray stated. "And we aren't a pack, exactly. We're—."

"I do not care. I have protected my people for over forty seasons now - from threats both nearby and foreign. You should have chosen this battle more wisely…" Tristan looked around, noticing his crew squaring off against the countless electric-types surrounding them, and was starting to believe that he had made a massive mistake. But there was still one other option.

"Then do not cower behind numbers, as I did not. I have over a hundred _thousand_ members of my pack, and I could have obliterated every one of you had I wanted to. If you have an issue with me, then take it up with me - not my people."

"What are you proposing?" the leader asked.

"I challenge you for the position of leadership over your people." The electric-types looked at their leader, eager to hear what he had to say, and everyone present fell silent.

"I don't think you realize the predicament you're in," the manectric stated. "I have nothing to gain by accepting your challenge."

"If you win, then you'd take over my pack, right? The most powerful group that has ever existed in this continent. But if you refuse, then you will always carry your cowardice with you, not to mention the deaths of everyone who dies here today." The luxray stepped forth, staring his opponent down. "I came here with peaceful intentions - I wanted a resolution that would benefit both groups. But you've made it clear that you aren't exactly about to be diplomatic, so I'm not left with much of a choice."

"Tristan!" the sandslash stated. "Why would you risk such a thing?!" He didn't respond, but it was because there was no doubt in his mind that he would lose the fight.

"Have it your way," the manectric stated.

"You have no need to accept this request," a female manectric said, rushing up to the leader's side, seemingly his mate.

"I refuse to let this cat call me a coward in front of my people and not do anything about it," the leader stated. "I will prevail over him and take his pack in addition to ours." He walked past his mate, ignoring her pleas of reconsideration, and stopped when he was only a few feet away from Tristan. "I accept your challenge." Tristan heard the murmurs of the large crowds around them, even from Valmor's crew. The luxray had put it all on the line, and only for a few hundred new members.

"What are the rules?" Tristan asked.

"Nothing but claws and lightning. If any of your people interfere, you will all be killed without hesitation. This battle is between you and me alone."

"As it should be."

"You should've left when you had the chance," the manectric said, beginning to pace to the side, lowering himself in a hostile stance. "Your people will bear witness as I claim all that you have built."

"Over my dead body."

"That's the idea."

A chorus of howls sounded, taking over even the thunderous clashes. Everyone cleared the area, giving the two of them room to fight. _It didn't have to be this way, you stubborn fool!_ His eyes were fixated on his opponent, and the two of them began to circle one another. Part of him couldn't believe he was doing this. But as he stared into the eyes of the manectric, the luxray knew that he had taken enemies far more deadly than him.

"What kind of leader are you?" Tristan asked. "The one people fear? Or one that people respect?"

"I'm the one that's going to end your life." Tristan bared his fangs, releasing a threatening growl.

"Not a chance."

He wasn't about to wait for his opponent to make the first move. Without warning, he lunged towards the manectric far faster than anyone had anticipated, slamming his weight into the foe. The tribe leader rolled over as he was sent to the ground, using the momentum to get back onto his feet before launching a wicked thunderbolt. Being as close as he was, Tristan had no chance of dodging it. He winced slightly as he took the attack full-on, but looked back at his opponent.

"What?!" the tribe leader barked in disbelief. Tristan sprinted towards the manectric, who leaped into the air, bringing his claws downward toward the large feline. The luxray pushed himself up onto his hind legs, intersecting his opponent as he felt the sharp points rake down his side, drawing blood. He growled as they went to the ground, pushing the other electric-type off of him with a powerful shove. Both of them found their way back onto their feet quickly, and this time, the manectric struck.

Electricity surged around his body, and the manectric snarled as he slammed himself into the luxray. Tristan was knocked off his feet, and the static surged throughout his fur, dissipating within his body. Tristan noticed his opponent swing for him once again and backed up, feeling the claws rake across his chest. He rammed into the manectric, causing him to stumble back for a split second - but that was all he needed. The static crackled on Tristan's fur, his eyes shining from the tremendous current seething throughout his body. Before anyone had known what had happened, the luxray released a tremendous bolt of lightning, striking his foe almost instantly. The leader of the tribe howled out in pain, unable to brush off the sheer energy that Tristan had pelted him with.

"There you go Tristan!" the skarmory shouted. The manectric stumbled back, but squared off against him once again. The luxray closed the distance between them, raising his paw and striking at his opponent's head. But the opposing electric-type ducked underneath the attack, then lunged up and shoved Tristan with whatever strength he could. He was sent to the ground, the manectric viciously clawing for his throat, and raised his forepaws to block the several nearly-lethal slashes. _That's it!_

Tristan slammed his head into the aggressor, completely halting the attacks on his end. He used his hind legs to throw the tribe leader into the air, and the manectric landed on his side. The luxray casually got back onto his feet, then began making his way towards the canine as he tried to regain his bearings. But the stumbling made it clear what was about to happen, and this had gone on for long enough. Before his opponent could do anything, Tristan leaped into the air, hauling back and bringing his paw down swiftly onto his head. A quick whimper, and the manectric fell flat on his belly, having lost the ability to continue.

He looked around at the multitudes of electric-types, all of them staring back at him - completely astonished by what they had seen. The lightning overhead branched across the sky, accompanied by a rolling thunder that echoed throughout the plains. Tristan stood proudly over his fallen foe, and lifted his head, releasing a reverberating roar that caused everyone around to stiffen up. He looked down at the manectric, who knew that he had been defeated, but was unable to move.

"Please!" the female from before screamed. "Please don't do it!" Tristan looked over in order to see her and a few others rush towards the two of them, and already several members of the luxray's own crew prepared to step in.

"I thought there was to be no interference," Tristan stated flatly.

"I'm begging you!" she continued. "I… we accept the results, but please… do not kill him!"

"He had no issue trying to rip my throat out just moments ago." He looked over the group of manectrics as they stood there, and they looked down, eventually laying prone before him, acknowledging his authority. "Why do the rest of you approach me? What reason do you have for defending him?" One of the male manectrics spoke up, and Tristan assumed that he was another higher-up member of the pack.

"Faramond has done everything in his power to protect us. It wouldn't feel right not to do the same."

"And if I refuse to spare him?" the luxray asked.

"Then… we will accept the decision. I just… I'm sorry that he came across as hostile. He has devoted himself entirely to our people, and… we've had issues with outsiders in the past. I hope you understand…" Tristan looked down once again at his foe, who had begun to open his eyes gradually, and it didn't take him long to recognize the situation he was in. The feline shifted his gaze towards his own people, and just like the electrikes and manectrics within the area, they looked upon him, anticipating what he was about to do next. He looked back at the female, who was crying softly.

"Help your mate to his feet. Had I wanted to kill him, I would have done so already." She wasted no time at all in rushing to his side, nuzzling up against the fallen electric-type.

"Th-thank you," she whispered. His gaze shifted once again towards the Valmor crew, and saw that several of them were nodding in approval. Eventually, the female was able to help Faramond onto his feet, though it was clear that he was beyond weak.

"Why?" he asked simply.

"Because," Tristan replied, "these people respect you as a leader, and I do not wish to take over your pack." He could feel the confusion around him, with everyone trying to figure out the luxray's peculiar mannerisms. "I came here to make a deal that would benefit both of our groups, and that is still what I intend to do. Are you ready to listen this time?" Faramond remained silent for a moment, but the manectric slowly nodded, unable to meet Tristan's gaze.

"…Yes." The feline stepped back, motioning over towards the crew he had assembled for this voyage.

"As I said before, we represent the nation of Valmor. The country stretches out over a third of the land within the continent. We've already brought in many groups much like yours - people who wish to have the benefits that Valmor has to offer."

"Which are?" asked Faramond's mate.

"Well, I'll say that no one within Valmor's borders is in danger of going hungry. Buildings are going up at incredible speeds, and trade routes have been created among various settlements for easier accessibility. We have done something in this continent that has never been done before: we've unified it. I want you all to be a part of that." The manectrics looked among each other curiously, and their leader was no exception.

"What is it that you have in mind?" he asked.

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The two of them watched as Lapras drew close to the shoreline, having everything ready to go. It was kind of sad leaving the island after all this time - especially given what all had happened over the course of this trip. It didn't take him long to float up towards the edge where they were waiting. "Well you two looked like you enjoyed yourselves…" he stated.

"Oh, you could say that," Selina replied. "Right Liam?"

"Most definitely. Though I did have to go and lose the sleeping roll and all…"

"How'd you manage to do that?" Lapras asked.

"It's kinda a long story. But I suppose we've got nothing but time for the next couple of days." The two of them stepped onto the water-type's shell, and he repositioned himself before beginning their descent back down towards the waters. She gripped the protrusions from his shell, as did Liam, in order to feel more secure. Especially given the fact that she'd almost lost him in such a way. The lucario placed a paw on her back as they lowered towards the water, giving her a sincere smile. She placed her maw against his cheek, taking in the scent of her mate. Fortunately Lapras was focusing intently on the task at hand and didn't notice the pair, though he would inevitably find out soon.

"So how was Dialga?" Lapras asked once they contacted the water.

"He's been getting a lot better, but it's pretty clear that he's still recovering," Liam said. "But he estimates that he will gain his full strength back within a year or two. He wants to start visiting us, too."

"That should be interesting," the water-type said. "The god of time walking through the streets of Treasure City…"

"City?" Selina asked.

"Oh, that's right - the two of you had no way to know. Well, while you've both been on your little adventure here, things have picked up far more back home."

"How so?" the lucario asked.

"Tristan - that's how. It took him a little more than a month to put together a country…" Selina looked at Liam, who was equally surprised as she was. "Valmor is what they call it. When I had left, it consisted of almost sixty territories. Capim Town, Roseview, the Nest… even Desert Village joined in."

"How did he manage to do that?" Liam asked in disbelief. "I mean, I get Capim Town, but… Desert Village? And out to the Nest? That's a long way out there…"

"I would be lying if I said I understood it myself. But it appears that the wilderness is fading away. The world is always in a state of getting smaller. Tristan is just speeding things along."

"I don't believe it," Selina said quietly. "Tristan of all people…"

"It comes as a surprise to me too. But he has taken well to his position, and has accomplished far more than anyone thought possible. Tristan stands in charge of over a third of the continent. We have no idea how many people that is, considering a census of that scale has never been done before, but… we know it to be over a hundred thousand people easily, probably closer to two or three once all the uncivilized within the boundaries of Valmor are included."

"That… I don't believe it…" Liam said, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't either if I were in your place," Lapras said. "To think that within nearly a month, such a reserved person as him would have been able to pull such a thing off. I can hardly believe it myself."

"Well I'm happy to hear that it's all working out. Though the idea of such a place being a city is far beyond me…" Liam said. "I mean, the three of us were here when Treasure Town had only a thousand residents. I couldn't ever have pictured it being anything other than a small, country town. And now to hear that it's a city…"

"In any case, Tristan was the right person for the job. I heard recently that his approval rating was well over ninety percent. For an elected official, that's unheard of. And throughout all of the lands I have travelled to, I have never seen a nation built in such a short period of time. He is full of surprises, that one…" Selina nodded, feeling the same way. She just hoped that he wasn't overwhelming himself with all this, but the umbreon also supposed that he knew what he was doing by now and had learned how to cope. _Way to go, Tristan!_ she thought.

They drifted along the waters, with the rising sun directly ahead of them. Lapras had gotten used to swimming with his eyes closed, knowing that he was going in the right direction. She nudged Liam, who looked at her curiously. "Should we tell him?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think so. I mean it's not like we could hide it if we wanted to…"

"What are the two of you whispering about?" Lapras asked. Selina laughed in response to the water-type.

"Do you wanna break the news?"

"I guess. Did you want to?" Liam asked.

"Mmm, nope. I'll just sit here and watch his reaction." Liam looked forward, and the water-type turned his neck to cast his passengers a sideways glance.

"Lapras… Selina and I are mates now…"

"I see," he said. "Well congratulations! I had figured that it would happen eventually - this isn't exactly surprising, to be honest. But I wish you two great happiness. You both deserve nothing less after all you've done."

"Yep, we're happy alright," Selina said, nuzzling her partner.

"I'll say," Liam stated, before looking over at her with a wolfish grin. _Oh no…_ "One thing led to another, and… well, she's pregnant."

"Liam!" she yelled.

"Oh! Well you two sure didn't waste any time," Lapras said. The umbreon smacked Liam, who could only raise his paws in defense as he laughed uncontrollably.

"That is _not_ true, Lapras!" The water-type found great humor in the situation as well, simply shaking his head as she playfully assaulted the lucario. Liam tried his best to regain his composure, and the umbreon let off, shooting him an annoyed glare.

"Oh come on," he said, out of breath, "you gotta admit that was funny…" Her cheeks were still burning from embarrassment, and Selina looked away from him. _For you, maybe!_ But he was having none of that, and put his arm around her.

"Liam, I love you, but you can be an ass at times…"

"And that's exactly why you love me," he said, nuzzling her cheek.

"Among other things," she murmured. But eventually, she made eye contact with him. _You pest!_ she thought, seeing that playful smile. "I'm gonna get you back for that," she whispered.

"Alright then. I look forward to it."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:**

 **Here's a shorter chapter, as Part 1 of the story is coming to a close. Be ready for some pretty eventful chapters coming up!**

 **Special thanks to both Fifi the Braixen and Fawkes Kleiffen for proofreading ahead of time.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **\- Character thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

— — — — —

 **Rachel**

— — — — —

Rachel was walking towards the police station when she noticed Marvin zip by. She turned around, looking at him curiously, but it didn't take her long to find the cause of his excitement. _Well look who's back,_ she thought. The female lucario picked up her pace, heading for her two friends, who were both laughing as the manaphy swarmed them with questions. She decided to head over and greet them herself, but she couldn't help but notice that something was different about the two of them. Their auras felt so indescribably lively. _What happened to them?_ she found herself wondering. She was about to find out.

"It's good to see the two of you again," Rachel said cheerily. "You two look so… different. Did everything go well?"

"Better than well," Selina said, nudging the male lucario. "We've got some pretty good news to tell everyone. This time, though, I'll be doing the talking." As if making her point, she looked up at Liam with playful aggression.

"What is it?" Marvin asked. "Did something exciting happen while you guys were gone?"

"Definitely," Liam replied, rubbing the manaphy's head. "But I don't think I'll tell ya."

"What? Why not?" he asked.

"Liam," Selina stated, "it's not like it's going to be a secret for much longer." Rachel looked between the two of them, and there was no way that the implications could escape her this time around. "Anyways, sweetie, your father and I… well… we're together now!" Rachel looked down, the realization not being the most welcome one. _Oh well… that's that I guess…_ But as disheartening as the news was, she looked at the two of them and smiled.

"That's awesome!" Marvin stated happily. "I mean… I kinda thought you two were before, and then Aunt Flora told me that you weren't, but that you _might_ be…" The manaphy trailed off, realizing that he probably shouldn't have said that.

"Flora? I told her to keep quiet about all of this!" Selina said, clearly agitated.

"Oops…" he said.

"Well in any case, I'm happy for the two of you," Rachel stated. "Really." Hopefully Liam wouldn't be able to detect the feeling of disappointment that she was doing her best to hide.

"I appreciate that," Liam said. "We've been waiting for something like this to happen for quite some time, and now it all feels so surreal. Part of me still can't believe it's true… or that Tristan managed to build a country while we were out…"

"Say, where is everyone else?" Selina asked.

"Flora should be back soon. She had a few messages to deliver to The Nest - they joined Valmor too, by the way - and then she's running a few errands of her own around Roseview. Eleanor is with the other elders, since she's filling in for Tristan while he's away."

"Really? Where did he go?" the male lucario asked.

"To Amp Plains." Both Liam and Selina cast each other a sideways glance, likely recalling the same eventful memories from years prior.

"Well I guess if any Retribution member is welcome there, it'd be him," Selina said. "That's where we met him, you know." Rachel nodded.

"Yeah. And he's using that to his advantage, too. Now that we've got such a big country, he's shifting his focus towards building a military. Well, that and a whole lot of construction."

"A military, huh? Never thought I'd see the day when that happened…" Liam admitted. "But there's no doubt in my mind that such a thing is needed - not when Valmor is about a third of the continent. How's he doing with the military, by the way? Have you heard anything?"

"Pierce flew in a few days ago," Rachel said.

"Who?"

"You know, the skarmory who works with the police? Well, it seems like Tristan managed to convince the two largest manectric packs to join together. He's got some sort of deal worked out with them for their services. My guess is he's paying them in the form of food, shelter or the like." `

"I'm glad to hear everything's worked out so far," Liam replied.

"Okay, enough of all that! How was Dialga? Oh, and the tower? And—."

"Alright, alright - one at a time," Liam stated. "We'll tell ya everything. But right now, I need to meet with Eleanor. Got a few important things to discuss with her." Hearing that, she couldn't help but wonder if the rumors about Liam were true. But perhaps those thoughts best be kept to herself until she knew for sure what was going on.

Once they had parted ways, with Liam and Selina trying to keep up with the hyper water-type, Rachel thought everything over. She had been hoping that the suspicions had not ben true - that Liam would still be free. There wasn't anything that could be done about it, though, and after all that the former human had been through, he definitely did deserve to be happy… even if she wasn't a part of that happiness. But as disappointing as the revelation was, there was more to life than this, and she would just have to move on.

Speaking of which, she was late for the training session that she had scheduled with the police. Truth be told, the majority of them had gotten to the point where they could fend for themselves just fine - even without further instruction. At this point she was just showing up to teach a few of the bipedals who were a little bit behind in their performance. But it wouldn't be long before they would be caught up in their skills. Once that was accomplished, she looked forward to resuming her usual line of work.

Of course, there still was the desire to find a partner - one that had led her here in the first place. There was no doubting that she had found something else, though, in Team Retribution: a family. Really, all things considered, everything had turned out quite well for her, and the lucario couldn't help but smile to herself as she neared the police station.

— — — — —

 **Eleanor**

— — — — —

The cresselia intently listened to every word Liam said, finding out that her suspicions had been correct all along. She was upset to hear it all, nonetheless, but she would give the lucario credit where it was due: he had finally taken the initiative on his own to be upfront about his workings. Just as in the past cases, Liam had displayed mostly good intentions with his interference in political affairs, but she didn't like to hear that he had been willing to use Tristan in order to do so. Once he had finished, Eleanor sighed, before replying.

"Well… I guess that confirms my thoughts," she said. "You should not have been interfering in such ways. While you have good causes in heart, it isn't right for you to run around and manipulate things. It sends a negative message, Liam, and others are starting to question it. Let us not forget who the Advisor is here. And you have now seen what Tristan has accomplished, so you have no need to intervene any longer."

"I do still intend to help," the lucario said. "I mean… look at what all I have, Eleanor. I couldn't possibly use all this money that I'm making, and there are people out there that have next to nothing. Had I not made arrangements with Capim Town, what would they have done about their food situation?"

"You could have gone about things in a less secretive manner," Eleanor stated, "and there are other ways to be charitable than what you have done."

"Yeah, I know," Liam admitted. "That's what I've come to you for. I want to help where I can, but… I've decided that maybe my methods of doing things aren't best. Maybe you can help me with that, Eleanor - if I run things by you two before I take action."

"I think that would be a wonderful idea," the cresselia said. "And I am proud of you for coming to that resolve. Despite our disagreements, I hold you in high regard. Your heart is in the right place, Liam."

"It brings me comfort me to hear you say that," the lucario said. She gave Liam a hug, pressing her head to his in a friendly gesture, to which he returned suit.

"Careful now - he's mine." Eleanor shot the umbreon a questioning look, then back to Liam, who simply grinned.

"Oh really?" the cresselia asked, before flashing a smile of her own. "Well I am overjoyed to hear such! I cannot help but say that I expected as much… the two of you truly were meant to be."

"Thank you, Eleanor," Selina said. "I wish that we had paid attention to the signs earlier… all this time that we'd felt like this." But the umbreon turned to her partner, giving him a loving nuzzle. "But none of that is important now. Arceus has blessed us both to be able to have one another."

"That he has," Liam said, returning her affections.

"We were wondering," Selina stated, "if you would consider legitimizing our union. We wanted to take things slowly and do it the right way…"

"And that is admirable," the legendary said. "I would love to preside over the event. How large are the two of you wanting to make it?"

"Oh, uh… I don't know if we had some major event in mind," Liam admitted, before looking at his partner. "Did you?"

"No, not really. I was just hoping the two of us and maybe the team… or even just a private union with you legitimizing it…"

"Whichever we choose, definitely nothing big - that's for sure."

"Well if we went with a ceremony for the entire team, I'd prefer that they all actually be here…" Selina said. "But both Tristan and Flora are out, and who knows when they'll be back…"

"So then maybe it would be best to just make it the three of us," Liam replied. "Wouldn't want the others to feel left out."

"That works for me," Selina added.

"Where should we do it?" Eleanor asked. "Any particular place the two of you would want?" The umbreon seemed to think it over for a moment, then perked up.

"The beach where we first met! I think it'd be perfect."

"That sounds like a great idea," Liam stated.

"Very well." The legendary couldn't help but smile upon hearing all of this, feeling that it was simply inevitable from the start. She had always known that each of them had feelings for the other, even though they had been hesitant to come to this realization. "When would you like to have this done?"

"How about tomorrow?" Liam asked. "Are you up for that, Selina?"

"Anytime would be wonderful, love. Though I think it would be nice to do it during the sunrise…"

"I think that sounds like a beautiful idea. So I assume that we will be meeting tomorrow morning on the beach?" Eleanor asked.

"It's a date," Selina said happily.

Once they had left, Eleanor retreated back to the tent, where Aidan was already at work, totaling up the taxes collected for the month, as well as all of their expenditures. It was one of the more uneventful parts of the job, but absolutely imperative nonetheless. She couldn't believe how much money was now flowing through Valmor, but she supposed that such a thing was to be expected when so many different settlements were now financially cooperating with one another.

But as she continued the task, Eleanor's thoughts kept drifting towards her friends. It brought her great joy that the two of them had found happiness with each other. Selina's innocence and purity of heart was the perfect compliment to Liam, making him act more as the person that he truly was. Not the sneaky, unpredictable lucario, but the sweet and gentle person that she had known for years. She was glad that the dark-type had that effect on people.

As for Liam, she supposed that she couldn't be upset with him, just so long as he stuck with his resolve to be more open and transparent this time around. Of course, he had been dishonest about this very matter in the past, and generally that would be enough to raise questions once again. But this time, Eleanor felt like his word was sincere, backed by the umbreon that he had fallen for. Not to mention the fact that there simply was no reason to be discreet about his dealings anymore.

"So…" Aidan started, "you gonna tell me what all that was about? Not to pry, of course…"

"No, it's okay. It wasn't much of a surprise to begin with," the cresselia stated. "Liam and Selina are now a couple."

"Oh? Really?" he asked. "Well… I kinda have to agree with ya on that. I've heard more than a few whispers about the two of them, living together and all. But I'm happy for the two of 'em. I haven't really met this Selina gal, but Liam seemed like a real nice fellow… even though we were rigging an election and all…"

"Yes, he is," Eleanor agreed. "He has some weird ways of showing it, but at the end of the day he wants to do what's right."

"That's the feeling I was getting from him back when he paid me." Aidan set the feather down beside the inkwell, then closed the small glass container. He had finished his share of the work that they had divided between the two of them, and she was on her last few pages. The typhlosion remained seated, staring off into space. "Eleanor, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Not at all. What's on your mind?"

"It's gonna sound kinda dumb," the typhlosion admitted, "but whatever. I've just been a bit concerned, that's all. This time it's about me, though…"

"What's wrong, Aidan?"

"I dunno, I guess… I think I'm just scared." Eleanor looked up from the task at hand, making eye contact with the fire-type. "It's just that… a few months ago, I was just like everybody else around these parts. But Tristan came to me and gave me this job, and now I'm in such a powerful position. I mean I control a good bit of how the money in Valmor moves around…"

"Are you unsure of yourself?" she asked, receiving a nod in return. "Oh, Aidan, you have done a wonderful job so far. I don't think you need to be concerned."

"Well yeah - things have worked out well up until this point. But what if something goes wrong? I used to run some pretty simple accounting over in Obsidian, and now I'm dealing with tens of thousands a month. If I mess something up…"

"Then you will have done what everyone else has," Eleanor said. "Nobody is perfect - not you, nor I. I'm sure you remember Tristan stumbling in the beginning of the election. Everyone will mess up from time to time. A person's worth cannot be defined by the mistakes they make, but rather in how they learn from it and better themselves." The fire-type looked down, then shook his head.

"You know, you're really good at that…"

"What?"

"The whole inspirational thing. You should consider doing it for a living," Aidan joked.

"Oh, I see. Well, I think I will pass on that. I enjoy what I do," she replied. "Throughout all my years, I have always wanted to help others wherever possible. There's a lot of evilness in this world, and if I can show Arceus' love, then I feel like I've done my part to balance everything out. Retribution has been a great means to accomplishing this, and I enjoy both Liam and Selina's company."

"I don't mean to imply that you're old or anything, Miss Eleanor, but don't legendaries like yourself live for a really long time?" he asked. The cresselia set down the papers, having finally finished her share of the work.

"No, I don't take offense to such things," she said with a laugh. "It is true that many of us live for a long time compared to others. I personally am five hundred thirty-two years old, and I am still a younger member of my species, though there are only a few of us that have ever existed. I would say in reference to you, I'd be a young adult."

"Are you worried about outliving them?" he asked quietly. It was a thought that she always tried to keep suppressed, but it was a valid concern.

"I know it will happen," she said lowly. "Well… nobody aside from Dialga and Arceus truly knows the future. For all I know, I could die in some accident tomorrow. But if I do not fall to injury, then there is no doubt that I will live to watch Liam and Selina grow old and die. I have witnessed my friends perish in such ways my entire life."

"That has to be hard…"

"It is," she admitted. "Those who are not legendaries do not have to experience such things. But I have come to expect it."

"How do you deal with that?" Aidan inquired.

"I did not. At least, not at first. The first person I truly became close to was a delcatty named Claire. She was vibrant and full of life, even as she aged. We explored nearly every corner of this continent and helped map it out."

"Oh wow, that's impressive."

"She never ceased to amaze me. But biology ran its course, and we had to alter our course to account for her age. First she couldn't climb mountains anymore, then even gentle inclines..." The legendary looked out of the tent, as though staring off towards the other half of the continent where it happened. "I still remember every detail of that day. She had fallen ill, and we found ourselves within a small settlement that used to be about two days' walk from Claw's Edge. I had been tending to her for some time, hoping that I could find some way to delay the inevitable, but I could not. Claire was courageous throughout the whole process, and dealt with it much better than I did. She said that 'death was just a part of life.' Unfortunately for me, it has been a constant companion."

"I'm… sorry to hear that…" Aidan said.

"It took me some time to get used to it. Rulers have risen and fallen - entire villages constructed from the ground up - and I've witnessed it all. But I have lost everyone that I have ever felt a connection with. Claire told me to remember all the good times, and take comfort in the fact that I would one day see her again. I know that eventually I will join all of them, but… Arceus only knows how long that will take." She looked at the typhlosion, and despite the painful recollections, smiled. "I will do the same for my newest friends as well. As for Liam and Selina, I share a bond with each of them that has been stronger than any before. Even though one day I will watch them both perish, I know that I love both of them and will be able to cherish what time we will have together, even if that time is short in reference to my lifespan. Both of them are fine people, so I have no doubt that I will see them one day in the Hall of Origins. Regardless of what may happen, I can always be glad that I ever knew such people."

"That's a good way to look at it. I wish I were as wise as you…"

"Oh, don't give me too much credit," she joked, "but I do appreciate the compliment. Any wisdom that I may have is that which all decent people obtain as they grow older. I just happen to not physically show it. At least… not too much, I hope."

"Haha, you're doing fine at aging. I mean… I don't know what an old cresselia would look like, but you look great!"

"Alright, alright, whatever you say," she joked.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:**

 **A few more important sections, including another interaction with one of the newer characters.**

 **Special thanks to Fawkes Kleiffen for beta reading the chapter!**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

— — — — —

 **Selina**

— — — — —

The two of them walked along the beach, with the private ceremony they had with Eleanor heaving lasted about twenty minutes. Selina couldn't help but appreciate the fact that, for the second time in her life, these shorelines would mark the start of a new adventure. While this one wouldn't be so action-packed, it was far more impactful for the both of them. She looked over at the lucario and smiled.

"Whatcha thinking about?" he asked.

"You."

"Well of course," Liam joked, earning a nudge to his side. "So… what now?" If she was being honest, the umbreon hadn't really come up with any ideas.

"I'm not really sure. Maybe we could redecorate our place a bit…"

"The bed should be delivered to us this afternoon," he stated. "Any idea on what we'll be doing with the other two?"

"Not really. Maybe we could keep them in case of visitors? I think you're giving me far too much credit in terms of planning stuff out…"

"Yeah, you're telling me. I didn't ever think that something like this would happen… I mean I'm still shocked that I had the courage to say what I did back at the ruins…"

"Well I'm glad you did," Selina said. "You've had my heart for a long time, Liam. I just didn't know it. But had you not said anything, I believe I would have broken the ice sooner or later… I had overlooked that fact for so long, but I could no longer ignore it when you nearly died…" It had been the most terrifying moment of her life, even making the stance against all those legendaries negligible in comparison.

"Maybe we should take some more time off like that," he said. "Of course, if there's an emergency, we could always leap into action. But with all the work Tristan has done towards the police force and this new military, I'm not so sure that our services are going to be in high demand…" But then again, who was to say that was a bad thing? Both of them had plenty of money, and Liam was still drawing income due to his investments. And no one was complaining about a safer world…

"I guess we will be forced to live out our days here, focusing on our own lives and our family," Selina said with a smile. "What a pity…"

"A real shame. But now that you mention the whole family part…"

"Yeah, I doubt it comes as a surprise that I hope to have children by you, Liam. Though I never thought I would hear myself say those words…" In fact, just a few months ago the very thought would have embarrassed her beyond all belief. But yet she had felt so strongly for the lucario for such a long time, perhaps it shouldn't have come as a surprise.

"I think that barrier's gone now, too. Of course, there's uhh… there's that one other part…" Liam made awkward eye contact with her, his expression shy and reserved. "Now I don't want you to think that's the reason I fell for you - not at all! I love you for _you_ , not your body…"

"I know Liam. I feel the same way." Had either of them been wanting the relationship out of lust, someone would have tried to initiate more intimate contact prior to this. Yet both of them were fine with waiting, not wanting to rush the bond that neither of them could imagine being without. "Though now that everything is legitimized before Arceus… there is that final step to our union…"

"We can do that whenever you want. I don't want you feeling pressured into anything you aren't comfortable with."

"That's really sweet Liam. I'm certain though, that I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Do you… want to try it tonight?" The sentence came out quietly, and he averted his gaze out of timidity.

"I-If this it's what you want…"

"Well of course - we're mates. Now if you want to hold off for some time—."

"No, it's okay. I just can't believe any of this is happening…" Liam stated. "I can hardly wait, yet at the same time I'm nervous…"

"Me too, Liam. I know that it's supposed to hurt. But I know that I want to be with you in this way, so I'm okay."

"Then I guess… I'll try to prepare myself for tonight then…" She couldn't help but find it adorable how the same lucario that had a reputation for being a relentless bounty hunter was getting flushed at the very idea that they had both had thought about. Selina had come to terms with what would result from their union, and after tonight, so would her lover. She found herself walking ever-so-slightly closer to him.

— — — — —

 **Zane**

— — — — —

The forge was radiating as he smelted the iron into thin ingots which he could mold into the proper form at his anvil. The zoroark would be lying if he said that he enjoyed this part of the process, which had likely never been an issue for the fire-type who owned the shop prior to him. But it came with the job, and the end result was always worth it in his opinion.

While that was going on, he was working on a curved dagger that a young mienshao named Gwen had ordered. She was an officer for the local police force, and one that he had seen around numerous times. Zane enjoyed seeing her, and if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't charging half of what he'd charge other people simply due to her general demeanor. Despite the prejudice towards dark-types, she had always treated him like just an average person… even if his past had suggested otherwise. Maybe he had earned the discrimination - that much was rightfully his - but he had never received it from her. From several other customers, perhaps, but not from Gwen.

Maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise. It was no secret that dark-types were the most problematic of all groups of pokémon, causing more crimes and having the most violent encounters with the law. Zane had, after all, been one of those statistics, and he had gotten what he deserved. But he had witnessed some of the prejudice against completely innocent dark-types - ones who simply wanted to live their lives just like everyone else – and it was always upsetting to watch.

The metal that he had chosen for the intended use was a softer steel. While the blade wouldn't hold up as well as a harder counterpart, the knife as a whole would be significantly tougher, which would be more ideal for someone who might just end up sticking it into someone… He laughed at the thought. He had no doubts that the mienshao might make use of the blade, but only as a last resort.

He had the rough form of the knife made the prior day, and now he was about to create the bevels on each side that would account for the blade itself. He had made his files out of the hardest steel currently known: that from the body of a steelix. Due to the creature living within the depths of the earth, the biological alloy that formed on its body was compressed to impressive densities, which resulted in a steel that was unbelievably hard. His files and grinding wheel had a light coating of it, and considering that it would last indefinitely, that was all that was needed.

Once he had spent the greater part of thirty minutes on the wheel, he had a crude edge for the blade formed. At that point, it was time to take it to the files that he had created. One of his more practical inventions, Zane had decided to take two of the round files and set them each thirty degrees off of the vertical, making an edge ideal for the purpose that she would be using it for. He had started the smooth motion - one that he had become very familiar with - of dragging the knife through the two files, honing the edge into a far sharper form. This process didn't take as long as the previous steps, but it was a good touch to add. And this wasn't even the last process he would do on the dagger. There was definitely a reason that he had as many loyal customers as he did.

"I see you're as productive as always," a particular samurott stated. Of course, it would be while he was enjoying himself…

"Oh," Zane mumbled, "hello Haben…" The water-type was probably his least favorite person to deal with, and he wasn't even a customer - he was simply one that a group of bounty hunters a few towns over sent to fetch orders that they had paid for. Though Haben always spoke of himself as though he were enough to rival Team ACT itself…

"I'm here for the iron claws and the armor that Magnar ordered."

"I've got the claws finished, but the armor's still in the works."

"What?! You've had two months to do this!" The samurott had become annoyed faster than usual, and Zane already knew that this conversation would be dreadful.

"Yeah, and I told y'all that it could take up to three. You aren't the only paying customers, you know..."

"Watch your tone with me, darkie! There are several other weapon smiths around these parts. All I have to do is recommend a different one to Magnar, and you'll be out of business." The zoroark just rolled his eyes.

"Oh whatever. I've been doing business with him for years. I doubt he'd stop coming to me given my quality of work - especially if his shit-talking errand boy is the only person that has anything against me."

"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Haben snarled.

"You heard me, errand boy. Now run back to your boss and tell him that his armor will be ready in a month."

"You can go fuck yourself!" He had said it loud enough to gain attention from others walking about, and a public scene was the last thing that Zane had wanted today. _There are kids around, you asshole…_

"Right. Well do you want anything else, or is that it?" The dark-type set the cloth bag onto the counter, trying not to smile as the samurott stared at him with all the hatred in the world.

"I'll be here again in a month," Haben stated sharply. "If we have to have this conversation again, I'll cut you in half."

"Yeah, I'm sure you would, with those nasty seashell blades at your side."

"No fucking wonder everyone hates your type…" With that, the water-type took the bag and left, leaving Zane alone.

"What an asshole," he growled to himself. But it wasn't like he hadn't experienced such treatment before. All that he could do is to try and ignore it and go about his business. Perhaps he didn't have it so bad, though. At least he had a stable job, which was more than what could be said for many people out there. But he definitely wouldn't turn down the prospect of a little better treatment, even if what he had done in the past had warranted such disrespect.

He had felt like he'd made very good progress, though. He hadn't stolen a single thing since those days, and now was decently respected by the community. Sure, he had to flee to another region altogether and start anew, but it was still more than he'd thought that he would get back when he was desperately searching for work in the Grass Continent.

Zane could hardly believe that he was even considering moving back to such a place. Just six years ago, he couldn't catch a break. But now that things had settled down, and people had probably forgotten who he was - likely even many of the officers themselves - he could expand this little business. He would hate to leave this particular shop, seeing as to who it belonged to before, but there was no denying the potential that the Grass Continent was showing - especially now that the region was becoming unified under the title of 'Valmor.' It had been quite the commotion around the world, considering that the Grass Continent was not a place that people were expecting to grow in such a way.

But Zane supposed that he could figure those things out when he had more time to sit down and devote any serious thought towards the matter. While Haben was difficult as always, the zoroark was a bit behind schedule, and there were already eight separate projects he had going on that were in various stages of completion.

He dragged it through the files the last time, then inspected the blade. The sharp, silver edge stared back at him, and the zoroark couldn't find any apparent flaws. _Just about done,_ he thought, before taking it over towards the leather panel. After dabbing the dagger into the small container of oil, he slowly stroked it along the surface of the leather, honing the edge with all the care that he could.

The final product was his usual, high quality result. He wrapped the handle in one of his nicer leather strips, creating a comfortable handle for the officer. She had definitely been one to change his opinion on people in that line of work. Like him, they were simply people trying to do their jobs. Maybe it was the nature of their job and the sheer amount of dark-type criminals that they had to deal with that changed their attitudes. While most officers never gave him trouble, he couldn't help but feel as though some spoke to him with a different tone than they would use towards other people. Gwen was one of the many police, though, who saw past any prejudice, and he appreciated her all the more for it.

Yes, things certainly could be a lot worse, but that didn't mean that there wasn't room to improve. The only dark-types that seemed to gain even an ounce of respect were those who had local businesses, the ones that held positions of power, or the few who served as officers or bounty hunters. Everyone else was more or less assumed to be a crook or degenerate. And that had been the case for him, too - but not anymore.

The road had been rough in finding a career, but he had made great progress compared to where he was before. Though he had to bury his past, lest the locals find out about it, the zoroark had made a legitimate living for himself, and he could feel proud about that. He had even gotten involved in the local church. With how things had turned out, there was no doubt that he'd never return to the way things were before. Not having to look everywhere for bounty hunters or police officers was certainly preferable to his previous life.

The sun was starting to set, but it didn't have much effect on the zoroark. No; when Zane got in the zone, he could easily be at it until the early hours of the morning, and it was looking like it would be one of those times. _Oh well,_ he thought, _this is what I get for being so far behind…_

His mind occasionally drifted back to thoughts of the samurott, and how if he was the type of person he used to be, how he would have put him in his place. He had no doubt that he could take Haben, particularly with his far superior weapons compared to… whatever those things were that samurotts used. If they were metal, then perhaps they would serve their purpose better. Zane laughed at the fact that he was instinctively thinking of a better design. _Definitely a narrower, sharper blade. Oh, and maybe a bit curved. That would make them look better, at least._

He stopped what he was currently doing and began to take the thought more seriously. _It might just be a popular item, too. No one around here makes anything of the sort…_ The zoroark considered what alloy he would even use for such an item and scanned the room. Definitely a ductile steel for the majority, but perhaps he could try a harder one around the blade. It was then that his eyes locked onto the special sample in the corner.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

Everywhere they looked within the growing city, Liam was amazed. There had been a great deal of potential that had only recently been tapped into, and they had no doubt that the continent would never be the same. Things had simply progressed far too much for that. Part of him still couldn't believe that Tristan of all people had managed to accomplish such impressive feats, even if the lucario himself did set things up just right for him.

But none of that mattered nearly as much as what had developed between him and the umbreon to his side. The two of them were heading back home, and his heart was pounding the entire way. He could feel the nervousness in her aura as well, but Selina was doing a far better job of suppressing it than him.

The entire concept of what was about to happen tonight was just far more than he could comprehend. All sorts of questions began popping up within his head as they passed the closed shops. _What if she doesn't like it?_ he kept asking himself. Liam had never done anything even remotely close to this, and soon, they were about to go all the way. The idea of letting her down in such an important way scared him to the point where he had asked a few friends who he knew had experience in the field for whatever advice he could get. Most of them told him how to properly prepare, or how to last longer, or trying to lighten the mood, but none of it served to comfort him still. The lucario hated the idea of simply trying to figure it out as he went, but aside from those few points, there wasn't much else to go off of.

She must have recognized the concerned look on his face, as the umbreon nudged his side gently. "Is something the matter?" she asked softly.

"N…not really. I'm just nervous," he replied.

"I can see that much," she giggled. "I am, too, Liam. But I know that I want you. I trust everything will work out just fine."

"But what if it doesn't?" he asked quietly. "I don't want to disappoint you like that…"

"Don't say that - have some faith in yourself. And whatever happens, happens. I'm sure we'll get better at it as time goes on. I'm just happy that we can be together like this."

"Me too, Selina. But…" he lowered his voice, even though they were now out of hearing range of anyone else, "I want to make you feel good, too…"

"You have already done just that. Now I don't want you to worry about it anymore, alright?"

"Okay, fine…" Of course, that didn't fully eliminate his concern, but he at least dropped the topic for now. In about ten minutes there would be impossible to ignore the matter at hand. To think that everything had led up to this point - the two friends who had saved the world twice were about to finalize a relationship that had become so much more than that. A lot of this was all still processing to him, but the time for doubt had long passed.

The walk home had felt like the quickest one ever, though part of him wanted it to stretch out indefinitely. The two of them looked at the trapdoor to their home silently, the gentle breeze being the only sound. His feelings contradicted one another, with both anticipation and fear coursing throughout the lucario. But Selina looked up at him and gave him a heartfelt grin. "I love you," she whispered.

"I know, but… I'm scared…" he said quietly.

"I am too. But I could face the whole world with you by my side, Liam." She hopped onto her hind legs, embracing him in a soft hug. The dark-type placed a gentle kiss on his muzzle, and he returned the gesture. "If you want to wait until another night, that is fine with me," she said.

"Yeah… I know. But we'll face this eventually, so… I might as well find my courage tonight." He nuzzled the crook of her neck appreciatively, and the umbreon smiled before releasing her hold. She looked back at him, and the expression of love that he felt from her let him know that there was no way he would allow himself to back out. Selina motioned for him to follow her inside.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **As you may have guessed, the next chapter will be the lemon scene of the story. As such, it will be marked, and since the entire chapter is a lemon scene, it can be skipped if you wish to not see it.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:**

 **Hey, Vil here. We've got a more anticipated chapter this time around. I've decided to separate the chapter as a whole, making this one solely devoted to the lemon. So I want everyone to read this carefully in case you do not want to see this content.**

 **THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A SEX** **SCENE. If you do not wish to read this, then skip past it or ignore it, simply knowing that it happens. They did it.**

 **Special thanks to Fawkes Kleiffen for the beta reading services, particularly for this special scene.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

— — — — —

 **General**

— — — — —

Liam followed her silently towards their new bed, having already taken a few of the preparations for the activity. He had set a spare linen to the side of the bed upon hearing how messy things could get. Of course, this only served to increase his nervousness, as both of them were walking into this more or less not knowing what to expect.

Selina hopped onto the bed, anxious for what was to come, but knowing that she wanted it nonetheless. _This is really happening…_ she thought. Though her nerves were also getting on her, she was determined to see this through. Nearly four years of knowing the lucario - countless adventures - and everything had led up to this night.

"Are you ready?" she asked quietly.

"I guess so…" Liam replied. "I've… spoken with a few people. I don't know what I'm doing, so I kinda had to ask for some advice…"

"Oh really? So then you've been preparing for this…" She remained on her stomach, looking fondly at her partner who was at the edge of the bed. Liam grabbed a folded linen from the floor and set it on the bed, earning a curious look from the umbreon.

"It uhh… it can get messy…"

"Oh… well then perhaps that was a good idea. Hop up here with me." Liam did just that, sitting next to her, barely able to maintain eye contact. He kept trying to convince himself that he could do this, but his hesitation was as clear as day. Selina motioned for him to lay down with her, and the lucario did as she wished. The two of them stared into each others' eyes, and Liam at least worked up the courage to do what they had done countless times before. He pecked her cheek softly, receiving a loving nuzzle in response. "You missed," she said, before closing the gap once again, this time pressing their lips together.

Liam couldn't begin to describe the feelings rushing through him. His aura-sensing capabilities were proving what they could really do, and he felt both the love and lust from the umbreon, just as much as he was experiencing his own. He didn't deserve Selina, but yet he had her. "I love you so much…" he whispered.

"And I love you, my Liam." He trailed his paws to her side, resting them there as they continued their sweet gestures.

"How do… you want to start this?" he asked. She felt her cheeks flush, not knowing the answer to that question.

"Did your friend say anything about that?" she asked, to which he shook his head.

"Not aside from just taking it slow… and seeing what happens from there…" He supposed that he could do what he was comfortable with, and perhaps that could lead to something else. _Come on Liam, find your balls already!_ he thought. But of course, that was easier said than done as the two timidly held their partner, each waiting on the other to make a move. Somehow he managed to be the one to start things.

Selina gasped as he claimed her neck, kissing it feverishly. Though it tickled somewhat, she gave him better access, savoring in the feeling of her mate making his affections known. "You just… keep at that," she said. "Arceus, you _have_ become good at it…"

He said nothing, taking pleasure in the fact that she was enjoying herself. Each time he took in her scent, the lucario's mind became clouded, and he had hardly noticed as his kisses became more passionate, trailing down to her chest. She smiled at him seductively, and he could feel himself getting more adventurous with his exploration, albeit barely. Liam rubbed her sides as he worked his way along her chest, feeling her as her breaths slightly became more frantic.

"Does that feel good?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Mmm… it did. K-keep going." Liam did his best to take the lead, alternating between nuzzling and kissing her underside. He eventually came into contact with a small bump, causing Selina to twitch.

"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

"N-not at all, sweetie. I'm just not used to that…" She placed her paws on his shoulders, pressing him against her body. "You c-could do it again… if you want to, that is…" Liam slowly brought his paw to the bump, gently feeling her nipple. The umbreon found herself basking in his treatment, having never imagined that something like this would be as pleasurable as it was. He carefully rubbed the areas with his paws, then took her by surprise when he placed his muzzle to one. "Ah!" she gasped.

Liam sucked on the sensitive nub, his eyes closed as he felt around her body, trailing his hands down to her belly. She seemed to be enjoying it, so he didn't stop what he was doing, but rather doubled down on his efforts to please her. It was definitely working.

"Mmm… it feels so good," Selina said, turning to give him better access. She had rolled over onto her back, and Liam brought himself over her, still focusing on the task at hand. Despite his inexperience with all this, his paws drifted across her body in smooth, sensual motions, and she found herself enjoying the foreplay far more than she would have ever believed. _And we're… ahh… not even to the main event yet…_

The lucario's mind became clouded by his lust for his partner, and for the first time, his reservations subsided, leading him to work his way down. He had reached her lowest nipples, suckling on them as a pup would, when he picked up the strong scent of his mate. It had been present over the course of this session, but now there was no ignoring it. He ceased his actions immediately, looking up towards her. It was so close, and her legs were spread and waiting for him. But he looked up at the dark-type, who had one of her forepaws in front of her mouth, as though trying to hide behind it.

"D…do you want me to…?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Only if you want to," Selina answered. But she hoped he would. If his treatment of her underside was that sensual, she could only imagine what was in store for her if he did something similar between her legs.

Liam was trying to cope with the rush of emotions that he was feeling from both of them. Perhaps this was why it was said that lucarios made such great mates. Her tail brushed across his side, and he decided that he wasn't going to leave her waiting. He lowered his gaze, his breath halting as he looked at the area between her legs. Her vulva was small - slightly triangular, as was the case for most canines - and he found himself unable to look away from it. "Wow…" he whispered. "You're beautiful, Selina…"

"This… is the first time you have seen it?" she asked, taken by surprise.

"Yeah… I mean, I wasn't going out of my way to look at it all this time. I've always respected you too much for that." She smiled at him, unable to love him any more.

"Well it's all yours now," she replied.

"C-can I try to make you feel good?" the lucario asked, his ears timidly lowered. She couldn't find a more adorable sight.

"Please. I want you so badly…" His paw slowly trailed down, and taking in a deep breath of her scent, he brought it to her mound. Instantly they both shivered from the contact, and Selina was already wet from his prior treatment. Wordlessly, he began to move his paw along her folds, loving the way it felt between his digits. He could feel the small amount of liquid that had coated her crevasse on him, and Liam could definitely see why the cleanup measures had been a good idea. And they hadn't even begun yet…

"You're so warm down there," he stated.

"It's… ahh! So good… Please don't stop!" She hadn't even touched herself there for any real period of time, so Selina was caught up in a bliss that she was unfamiliar with. Her hind legs clamped around the lucario's paw, forbidding him to leave. Liam decided to move back to his original position, keeping his hand over her excited sex as he looked into her eyes. He closed the distance between their mouths, and immediately her paws shot up to his head, pulling him passionately into the kiss. Their tongues danced with one another, each of them losing their breath to their partner.

She moaned into his mouth as they made out, unable to comprehend how such simple rubbing felt so good. Maybe it was the unfamiliar sensation, or the fact that it was Liam of all people. Whatever the case, she hoped that it wouldn't stop anytime soon.

Each time they drew back for frantic breaths, it took them only seconds to resume their lip-lock. Liam knew by now that there was no way he'd be able to hide his own member, which had become fully erect. It was throbbing and ready for stimulation, but at the moment, he couldn't care less. All that mattered was making her happy, just as she had done for him all these years.

Selina released a quick yelp as one of his digits accidentally sunk in. He hadn't realized that his petting had become heavier over the course of their kissing and stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" He felt horrible, but she just seemed to stare back at him in shock.

"N-no! I was just… surprised. It felt really good, actually…" He took that as a request to continue, and soon, Liam was moving his paw across her slit, pressing in with his middle digit and trailing it through the pink flesh within her dark lips. He was already wondering how her smooth walls would feel against his member.

The lucario would have continued had she let him, but Selina had other ideas in mind. She nuzzled his cheek appreciatively, loving the fact that she had a mate that wanting nothing more than to make her happy. Now it was her turn to do just that. The dark-type rolled over onto her belly once again, causing her lover to look at her confusedly.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"N-no, love - I just want you to have your turn, too." She still had her reservations, never having done any of this before. But she had vowed back at the Hidden Land that she would never let things of the sort get in the way again. The lucario was positioned on his side, and she could only barely see the pointed tip of his member, causing the warm feeling to rush back to her face. He still held on to that last bit of shyness about all of this, and she tenderly licked his cheek. "It's okay, Liam," she whispered in his ear. He hesitated for a moment, but he eventually gave in, and with a silent lick to her muzzle, slowly rolled onto his back.

Selina looked at it with amazement. Lucarios were certainly not the most endowed of all the species - though she wouldn't know much about that from her lack of experience - but looking at the pink member in front of her, she knew that it would be a tight fit for her. "I think… I'm going to start now, okay?" she said.

"A-alright…" He looked at her with uncertainty, trying his best to hold himself together. The umbreon laid down, bringing her front level with his shaft. She gradually brought her forepaw to it, causing him to stiffen up when she touched it. It felt unlike anything she had ever imagined, and she wanted to experiment with it.

The umbreon slowly began to rub up and down his length, loving how her mate clutched the sheets, his eyes shut tightly as he tried to fight from gasping. _Aww… let it out, sweetie._ The musky smell that emanated from his member was overbearing, and she soon found herself speeding her actions up slightly just so that she could breathe in his scent.

It didn't take Liam long to break his silent resolve, and he found himself gasping as she trailed her paws tenderly along his shaft, loving every second of the pleasurable friction between the two of them. He fought the urge to thrust in rhythm with her strokes, only holding back in order to not seem as desperate as he was for stimulation. But that, too, was becoming more difficult.

Selina found herself getting just as excited as before, if not more so, and her own sex was pulsing in anticipation. She pumped his member excitedly with both paws, and she smiled at the fact that his mouth was agape, releasing rapid breaths as she tended to him. She reverted her gaze back to his shaft, before getting an idea. While she continued to stroke along his manhood with her right paw, the dark-type lowered her other down to his balls, fondling them gently.

"Ah… Oh Arceus, Selina… Th-that…" He wasn't making much sense anymore, and while she hardly knew what she was doing, her actions definitely were having the desired effect.

They were a strange thing - a male's genitals. _The way they just hang there…_ The reptilian species of males didn't even have these, she had noticed, but she most certainly wasn't complaining. The umbreon was fascinated by them, and couldn't help but continue to play with them, much to her lover's enjoyment.

He panted heavily as she continued to service him, focusing on both his member and his sack. Her motions were slow and gentle, and he could feel her hot breath on his shaft, making him desperately want her even more - if such a thing was even possible.

Though the activity was far from boring, Selina decided that she couldn't hold back anymore and leaned in for a taste, completely unbeknownst to the lucario. He released a light moan as her tongue made its way along his manhood, unable to process the sheer pleasure from it all. "Mmm…" she hummed, loving the slightly-salty taste of the male. She had to have more. Her paws sunk down to the base of his member as she began to rapidly lick every bit of it. He couldn't form comprehensible words as she serviced him, eventually taking his tip into her mouth. All he could do was lay there and grunt from the pleasure of her warm mouth tightly squeezing his member. Though her mouth was full, Selina did her best to put her tongue to use, dragging it across the underside of his shaft as she began to move her head up and down.

"H-hey! You've… gotta st-stop…" he stammered. She looked up at him questioningly, a thin strand of saliva connecting her mouth to the member between her paws.

"What?" she asked. "I thought… I was doing pretty good, wasn't I?" Truth be told, he wouldn't know the difference between good and bad, and with it being her, it really didn't matter.

"It felt g-great…" he said, "it's just… I want to last until we… you know… I might be too tired to keep going after that, and I can't do that to you…" He was embarrassed about the fact that he would've been done so quickly, but from what he had heard, the first time tended to be like that, and he wasn't about to take any risks.

"I appreciate that, Liam." She gave his manhood a small kiss before crawling over to him, laying beside the lucario. "You're always looking out for me."

"What kind of mate would I be if I didn't?" he asked. She placed her paws to his cheeks and drew him in for a deep kiss. He tilted his head for better access to her mouth, and Selina took advantage of it immediately, suckling on his tongue as he explored her. She clasped onto him as she claimed the lucario as her own, and he found it all unbelievably arousing. The heat was rushing through their bodies, and his mind had long since lost its ability to reason. His member was throbbing, begging for attention that would soon be given.

Selina enjoyed their intimate gesture, knowing that every bit of this was what she wanted. Liam's paws found their way to lower, and she moaned into his mouth as he played with her tail, eventually following it down. He gripped her hindquarters, fondling her rear as she continued to focus her efforts on his mouth. Eventually, though, she needed to retreat for breath.

She gasped for air, trying to recover from the intense kiss. Her eyes were half-lidded, and he wanted nothing more than to begin what both of them had prepared themselves for. But there was still one thing that he had in mind - something that he simply had to try before they took the final step. The lucario leaned in towards the dark-type, licking her cheek appreciatively.

"L-let me try something," he said, earning a silent nod from the still-panting umbreon. He crawled back towards her nether region, placing his paws on it once again. Liam carefully used his digits to spread her folds, revealing the slim pink slit between her lips. Her scent was overpowering, driving out any form of rationale, and he wasn't about to fight what he wanted anymore. He closed the distance, bringing his mouth to her sex.

Immediately her paws shot to the back of his head, and she cried out as his tongue quickly worked its way along her slit. "Liam!" she moaned. "Oh, Liam!" He rubbed the inside of her thighs as the umbreon held him in place, sucking on the small nub and earning a pleasured squeal. He shot her a lust-filled look, as if asking if she was enjoying it, but she was in no state to answer the obvious.

Her flavor dominated his mind, and he fell in love with the taste of his mate's flower. Her body squirmed as he licked every inch of her sex, eventually pressing his tongue into her small opening, lapping up every bit of her sweet fluids that he could. The umbreon's legs clamped around him, and he had to remove his hands in order to allow her to lock him into place. Not that it mattered anymore - he knew where everything was now.

Liam alternated between deep suckles on her clit and quick laps at everything, taking joy in the fact that he was making his lover feel good. It was all that he ever wanted. "Ah! I… I l-love you!" she stammered. "Please… I want you… I want you now!" The lucario took one final taste, knowing that there would be many more in the future, before removing his muzzle from her soaked folds. Her fluids had coated both his maw and the cloth beneath them, and there was about to be a whole lot more.

"W-well… how do you want to do it? Quadrupeds… they generally mate on all fours, right?" She thought about it for a moment, but then shook her head.

"Maybe. But I want to see you while we do this. I'd… I'd like to do it on my back." He nodded, then positioned himself over her. All the nervousness was starting to flood back to him, but he felt like they had already passed the point of no return. _This… this is really gonna happen…_ He couldn't believe the thought himself, but the lucario couldn't doubt it when his manhood brushed across her sex. Liam leaned forth, then realized something that both of them had overlooked.

"Wait… my spike is gonna be a huge problem…" Perhaps a female lucario might be a different story, as their species had metal throughout a significant portion of their bodies. But Selina? She had no such advantage, and if he fell… well, it would hurt to say the least.

"Oh, I… didn't think about that…" she mumbled. Liam thought it over for a moment, then came up with an idea. Not the best one, perhaps, but it was something.

"I mean… I could just hold myself above you. It just scares me a bit. If I fell… I wouldn't ever want to hurt you…" She leaned up and licked him across the cheek, giving him a reassuring smile.

"All will be well, Liam." As always, she made everything better.

"Alright then." He knew he would need to be the one to initiate things from here, though both of them still had some reservations about all of this. Hopefully things would all be less tense after tonight.

He started by pressing his maw to hers, and they kissed several times in quick succession, both of them anticipating what would happen next. Liam could feel the heat of her sex on his member, and he hesitantly slid his shaft between her waiting folds. The lucario braced himself over his mate, making sure to keep his spike above her chest. Selina nodded timidly, giving him the final confirmation. He drew back slightly, and the tip of his member was in place. He licked her maw, then, finding it within himself to bury the fear and uncertainty, Liam pressed forward.

Selina gasped, feeling herself get parted for the first time. His manhood parted her opening, and she couldn't believe that the same riolu that had come into this world with nothing more than a name had become the greatest treasure in her life. He let out a sigh of content as he added more of his length to her, and Selina found herself clasping his body, longing to feel his fur against her own. He lowered his head, giving small kisses and love bites to the inside of her neck, and the umbreon brought her legs around his hips, holding him in place as he entered her. "L-Liam…" she said, panting as he reached the barrier.

He didn't move from his position, but didn't put any more force in. Already his member was flooded with more warmth and stimulation than he had ever imagined possible, and he had to keep reminding himself not to allow his thighs to tighten up, as he didn't want to release so soon. But now there was this final obstacle in their unity. "Are you sure?" Liam asked quietly.

"Do it…" she said, bracing herself for the worst. She only prayed that it would be over quick…

The lucario lightly prodded the fleshy wall, hoping that he could do this without inflicting too much pain upon her. He withdrew from her neck, then the two of them slowly closed the distance once more, and as their tongues brushed across each other, Liam eased through her hymen.

Selina felt a sharpness in her loins, and she pulled back with a whimper. Tears welled up in her eyes, and a pain like a thousand tiny knives had stabbed her insides. Though she didn't know her own anatomy that well, the umbreon felt as though part of her had been torn apart. She wanted to cry, though she had taken far worse hits in battle, and her mate began to silently lick her cheek in an effort to comfort her. "I-it h-hurts…" she stammered.

"I'm so sorry," he replied, trying not to cry himself. He had hurt the umbreon, and though it was out of love, he still was the cause of her pain - something that he knew she was feeling through their connection. He remained still within her depths, which now constricted tightly around a third of his length. Her tiny opening clasped around him, though it wasn't his main concern at the moment. Liam nuzzled her cheek with as much affection as he could, hoping to calm her down.

Selina focused on her mate, drawing him into a kiss to try and take her mind off of the pain. She appreciated the fact that he was focused solely on her and not the sex, evident by him refusing to move until she was comfortable. It took several minutes, but eventually the pain did die down some, and she ran her paw through the fur on his side. "I think… you can start now…"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… Just take it slow," the dark-type said. Liam slowly withdrew his member from her until only the tip was in, the wet friction nearly taking his breath away. And to think they weren't even nearly done yet. But aside from the physical connection, the lucario felt something else; with his aura sensors picking up the emotions coming from her, it was as though he was experiencing her very feelings as though they were his own. The connection between the two of them magnified, and he wasn't able to restrain from claiming her lips feverishly. Liam slowly pushed back into her depths, feeling as though his member was in a vice grip as he reached the halfway point. "Ohh… Oh Arceus!" she exclaimed, trying to adjust to his size. Her sex was stretched out as he continued forth, and though there was still pain in his entry, it paled in comparison to the indescribable feeling of being filled by her lover.

Liam reached the hilt, bringing their hips together. He looked into her eyes, both of them gasping for breath from the intensity of their intercourse. _I… I did it…_ he thought, hardly able to grasp what had just happened. He had claimed the umbreon that he had loved for years. "S-Selina…"

"I l-love you Liam." She had never spoken so truly, and though they kept telling one another the same thing every few moments, each time the words were impactful to the two of them.

"Thank you for having me," Liam said, knowing that he didn't deserve someone as good as her. They embraced the best they could, both being mindful to avoid his chest spike, showering each other with all the love and affection they could muster.

The umbreon repositioned herself slightly, sending a nice jolt through his manhood. There was still a job to do here, and now that the hard part was over with, they were both determined to see that through. He pulled his length from her opening, a small bit of blood coating his shaft, and slowly pushed it back into her.

Selina found herself moaning into his mouth as he set a slow, deep pace for their lovemaking. They were one now, and she wouldn't have it any other way, having become just as familiar with his mouth as her own. Every time he pumped into her, she felt herself stretching to accommodate her lover's manhood, and they had to withdraw several times from one another, both of them becoming a panting mess from the intense experience.

He felt himself enveloped in her warmth, unable to form a coherent sentence as he buried his muzzle into her neck. Her moans were the sweetest melody he had ever heard, and he wanted to do whatever he could to keep the noises coming. His member disappeared into her confines time after time, his sack pressing against the base of her tail each time he hilted within her.

The umbreon embraced him, holding his head in place at her neck, unable to refrain from releasing her frantic cries of pleasure. He filled her completely, causing her sex to pulse around him, her body releasing more fluids than she knew possible. _My… Liam…_ she kept thinking, overjoyed beyond words to have his undying love.

"Do y-you want me t-to go faster?" he stammered, equally as dazed as she was. The umbreon briskly nodded, and before she knew it, he had sped up the pace, and a steady smacking sound could be heard as he thrust into her. So soon after the painful experience, and already she was starting to feel a pressure build within her.

She wasn't the only one. As things started to speed up, he had to constantly remind himself to hold back, but that was becoming more difficult. Her canal squeezed him, trying to keep his member within the umbreon each time he withdrew. Her aura was vibrant and sensual, and somehow the emotions he was feeling from her only served to turn him on even more. He sensed her arousal, causing him to speed up his thrusts until he was slamming into her.

"Ahh!" she cried, wrapping herself around him as tightly as she could. The heat flushed throughout her body as the tip of her lover's manhood entered into her womb, and Selina wished that the moment would stretch out forever. If only it were so…

But being new to this, there was no way that Liam would last long. It was already an accomplishment that they had made it nearly ten minutes. He felt the pressure in his member, and, frightened of what may happen, he started to slow down, doing everything he could to refrain from shooting his seed. "Wh-why did you do that?" she asked in concern.

"I-I'm so close," he said between heavy breaths. "Wh-what if… i-it could happen…" She licked his cheek, already knowing of the possibility before they had started.

"I'm ready for that, as long as it's with you! Please don't stop!" She moaned as he slammed into her once again, writhing beneath him as her peak started to rise. She lapped at his cheek as he claimed her neck, feeling like a dam was about to break loose within her. He must have known, as the lucario pounded her with all his might, keeping the same overpowering pace that had already brought her so close.

Her soaked slit was doing its best at keeping his shaft within her, where it belonged, and as Liam penetrated her channel with great exertion, his mind seemed to speed up his own climax so that he could release with her. Perhaps it was just a trait with lucarios, but he didn't care about any of that as long as she enjoyed it. And she was doing just that.

Her mind went blank as her lust took control, and she humped back into him what little bit she could. Selina gasped and moaned as he mated her with passionate force, her now-used sex burning with desire for him as he vigorously pumped in and out of the tight opening. "Liam, I-I… Ahh!" With a loud cry, her body quivered, her hips locking him into place as her climax flooded through her body. A warmth unlike any other overtook the umbreon as she clasped Liam as if her life depended on it.

Seeing that he had done his part to pleasure her, Liam humped into her, feeling the swelling towards the base of his member. He grunted as his own climax reached him, slamming into her to the very hilt and releasing his essence into his mate. Countless strands of his seed coated the walls of her womb, and his vision blurred as he emptied his load into the umbreon. His knot formed, locking the two of them together as intended.

They remained like that for a moment, both panting heavily as the reality of what had just happened sunk in. Exhausted, Liam rolled onto his side, facing his lover as his last bit of strength gave out. He kicked the wet linen away off of the bed, glad that they had made use of it rather than making a mess on the bed.

There were no words left to be said between the two of them - nothing that hadn't already been said a thousand times. Selina leaned in and nuzzled her mate, feeling the tiredness herself as she cuddled with him. Her lower half was slightly sore from their lovemaking, but it had all been worth it. Liam licked her maw softly, trying not to give in to the call of sleep, though his eyelids were heavy. She simply pressed her body against his, savoring the feeling of his fur against hers, all while his member was still stuck deep within her.

The two of them drifted off to sleep in each other's embrace, more content than they had ever been in their lives, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.

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	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:**

 **And here we are. Y'all didn't think the story could stay happy forever, did you? Enjoy.**

 **Special thanks to Fawkes Kleiffen for the beta reading services.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

— — — — —

 **Flora**

— — — — —

The shaymin drifted to the ground, having completed her job over at Roseview. She assumed that things were going well with Tristan, though she had no way of knowing short of flying to Amp Plains herself. But she had work to do of her own, and so that would have to wait. _Of course everything's fine,_ she thought, _this is Tristan we're talking about._ Truth be told, she had absolutely no idea how he was going to make a military in such a short time frame, but if anyone would be able to accomplish such a task, it was the luxray.

Her own work had been pretty set out for her, too. Roseview had everything in order to level the necessary woodland to create additional fields, and while it wasn't an idea that anyone was particularly fond of, everyone realized the need for this action. A growing country had to have food, after all. She would be going back and forth between the Treasure City and the smaller settlement in order to keep an eye on the task at hand.

She located the cresselia relatively quickly, finding her conversing with one of the elders. Eleanor was speaking with an old archeops, who looked like one of the oldest people in the continent as far as the shaymin was concerned. Then again, even he had nothing on Eleanor…

"Am I interrupting anything?" Flora asked.

"No, not at all," the elder said. "We were just finishing up here."

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Of course," Eleanor stated. "It's just that Valmor has grown so fast, and there are simply not enough people to manage things around here anymore. Tristan has also agreed to increasing the amount of official positions underneath him in order to help deal with the workload."

"Oh, so nothing exciting happened while I was gone?" she asked.

"Aside from Tristan recruiting the final few manectric packs, not really."

"Wait, he got all of them?" the shaymin asked.

"From what we've been told, they have recruited all of the major ones," the archeops said. "He has even gotten a few of the luxray packs, which is perhaps the more impressive feat. While he had a better chance of getting through to them, I never thought I would see the day when those two groups would work alongside one another."

"Yeah, don't those two evolutionary lines like… really hate one another?"

"I thought so," the legendary said, "but apparently they're looking past that. Of course, this is a good thing for us. He's got somewhere around seven thousand individuals so far, and that's before any recruitment from settlements. He hasn't started that part yet, but it should bring in far more people."

A few moments later, the archeops had excused himself, leaving the two girls to themselves. Flora realized the need for all that Retribution was doing, but she couldn't help but wish that things would return to normal. Of course, the entire idea of Valmor would prevent that from happening, but she was ready to resume her usual line of work. And come to think of it, even that might be at risk - for better or for worse. Soon the country would have enough skilled individuals who could carry out rescue missions, or enforce the law, and Retribution's services would become more of a specialty than a constant need.

"Hey, where are Liam and Selina? They should've gotten back by now."

"They have," Eleanor said, "but I don't know where they are at this time."

"Wish I could've seen them arrive," Flora said. "Oh well. Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Not much aside from the two of them becoming unified." The shaymin's mouth went agape. Did she hear that correctly?

"Hold up, Liam and Selina are a couple now?"

"That they are," Eleanor replied. "We had the private ceremony about a week ago."

"Aww, why couldn't you all have waited for me to get back?!"

"Calm yourself, Flora. It was just the two of them and I, who legitimized their relationship. They knew that the team was spread all around, so we all agreed on just the three of us so as not to make anyone feel left out."

"Oh, fine…" she mumbled, though she had wished it had been different.

"Rest be assured there will be celebration once everyone is in one place again. Liam has already talked about the feasts and the massive amount of company we will be keeping."

"I bet," the shaymin stated. "But I've gotta admit, I totally called it _years_ ago."

"I'm sure you did," Eleanor replied with a smile. "I feel like this was very foreseeable."

"No kidding. I bet they've gone at it on every piece of furniture they own," she joked, causing the cresselia to roll her eyes. The grass-type giggled in response, all while her friend tried to ignore her childishness.

"Moving on from that," the legendary said, trying to change the subject, "how are the tasks coming along in Roseview?"

"Everything's fine. They're about halfway through the latest clearing processes, and I think planting should be able to occur by next season. Of course, if he ends up doubling the size of Valmor again before that, then we better go ahead and start making room for some more fields."

"I doubt that will happen. Claw's Edge clearly wouldn't want to join, as the dragons wouldn't be keen on submitting to any authority that isn't their own kind, so that blocks us off from spreading any further North. You said yourself that Shaymin Village wants to stay independent, and there are very few settlements down South. I can't foresee Valmor growing that much more in the near future. Right now, I think it's best that we just focus on continuing to develop what we've already got rather than trying to acquire more."

"That makes sense to me," Flora said. Looking down at the city, it was abundantly clear how far it had come - a testament to Valmor's prosperity. But she also couldn't help but feel like the former town had lost some of what made it appealing to begin with. The peaceful maritime town had long since ceased to be just that, now seemingly trying to take its place among the largely populous cities throughout the world. "It's all such a massive change. I can hardly believe how fast it happened…"

"I've seen several similar cases in my lifetime," Eleanor said. "Sometimes changes can occur like that. We just have to do our best to become accustomed to it, and to try and live the best lives that we can."

"Oh, another sentimental speech coming my way," the grass-type said with a laugh.

"No, I guess I will spare you this time around," the cresselia retorted. "I suppose I do make those quite often…"

"Yeah, no kidding," Flora joked. "But I am only teasing you. I have always enjoyed your optimism."

"As have I your sense of humor," Eleanor replied. "At least, most of the time…"

"Hey now, you know this team wouldn't be the same without me."

"I couldn't agree more," the legendary said with a laugh.

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

He finally understood where all those jokes about young couples came from. Neither of them could seem to control themselves. It was every morning, every night - sometimes they'd go back home during the day. Often times multiple sessions in a row until they passed out, and all it would take was a single seductive look and they'd fall into the same cycle again. Each and every position they could think of had already been done multiple times. The week had been a passionate blur, one that neither of them would ever forget about.

At the moment, though, he found himself having to shut away those kinds of thoughts, not wanting to make an unwelcome exposure of himself while the two of them were in public. He had already tended to his financial matters, and Kangaskhan was more than elated to hear the news regarding the two of them. The world felt like a different place now, and not because of the changes being made within the city, but because life in general could not be better. With Selina at his side, he felt like everything was perfectly as it should be.

The prospect of a military was one that really fascinated him, though, especially the more he heard about it. It seemed as though most conversations he overheard had something to do with the recent news of multiple packs from Amp Plains and how they would fulfill the role. Just about every major settlement had a local police force, and if not, then bounty hunters were always an option as well. But a national, mobile force - and in such great numbers? That was something that he hadn't really considered for the Grass Continent, and a concept that had only been put into practice in far larger countries worldwide.

He welcomed the idea of it nonetheless, though he still did harvest one concern: that one pack that they had fought several years ago. Did they know of Retribution being involved in this? Surely they couldn't hold such a grudge after all this time. The two of them had been young, and even though they were reckless in approaching the area, they had done it under the bed of intentions – even the electric-types present back then had acknowledged that much. Hopefully Tristan hadn't managed to find that particular manectric, and if he had, maybe the pack leader would have calmed down after these past few years…

He stood idly by while Selina browsed through the Kecleon shop, walking amongst the merchandise. She was looking at various objects to decorate their house with, some of which Liam desperately hoped that she wouldn't buy. Still, though, each time she looked at him with excitement, a large grin stretched across his face. Seeing her happy was just contagious.

There was no denying that the world had become a much smaller place with Tristan as the Advisor. He could tell that there were several people from around the continent, even a few from the reclusive Desert Village. He knew that something of the sort should be expected, but to think that it would have happened in a little more than a month was beyond his wildest imagination. And seeing it all develop firsthand was an indescribable experience to say the very least.

Selina trotted up to him happily, an intricately-woven fabric folded up on her back. _Arceus, she actually bought that…_ "What is that for?" he asked.

"A new blanket," she stated cheerfully. "I think it'll look great on our bed!"

"Yeah, gaudy red and purple is all the rage I hear."

"Hey! It looks fine!" she said, faking an offended tone.

"Sure, if you're colorblind." The umbreon head-butted him, doing her best not to drop the blanket onto the ground. He laughed as her head forced its way into his midsection, rubbing behind her ears with his paw.

"So when is Marvin supposed to meet us?" she asked.

"He should be at the café before long. I'd say we have time to toss this rug back at our place before we meet with him."

"Alright, if you insult this blanket one more time, you're sleeping on the other bed tonight," she teased.

"Aww, come on. You'd miss me…"

"Mmm, _maybe_. But you would learn your lesson."

They headed back for their home, all while Liam was secretly hoping that she'd reconsider putting this thing on their bed. But if she wanted it to be there, then he wouldn't stop her. Of course, it wouldn't prevent him from poking jokes at the hideous overlay.

Once they got inside, he helped her make their bed up, regretfully putting the new blanket on top. But as soon as that was done, the lucario took her by surprise, hoisting her up on the mattress and claiming her neck. "Liam, we—ah! We don't have time for this!"

"Sure we do," he said. "We've got an hour or so until we have to meet him."

"But not on the new blanket though…"

"I mean it's not like we could make it any uglier…" he said, earning a light jab to his ribs. But she couldn't maintain the disapproving look and broke out into laughter.

"Oh, alright - but we'll need to make it a quick one."

— — — — —

 **Bale**

— — — — —

The days were becoming indistinguishable from one another, all while the final one was drawing nearer. Had it not been for the schedules of the guards, he wouldn't even be able to determine that much, as the prison was underground and lacked windows. It was now a little more than two months to go, and all three of their heads would be severed from their bodies.

Clement flipped the page of the one book they had been given: the Book of Arceus. He'd been the only one to even touch his, even if it was for nothing more than something to do. The nidoking always was an odd one, and Bale would be lying if he said that he understood the bulky creature. He rolled his eyes, focusing once again on the ceiling. At this point he knew it like the back of his hand, having memorized every single minute pattern and flaw within it. There wasn't anything else to do other than to read that dreaded book, which he refused to ever touch again.

As for Murtagh, the canine hadn't really said much over these past months. Then again, none of them had. But the dark-type perhaps was dealing with the dread worse than any of them, for every single movement on behalf of a guard made the mightyena's ears stand on end, likely wondering if they had decided to accelerate the deadline of his punishment. Bale could have sworn he'd heard some whimpering in the night, but he could just be imagining things. The mind had a way of playing tricks on one in exceptional boredom. But in just two months, that would be put to rest, too.

The blaziken didn't really know what would happen after that. He had long since discarded the dumb superstitions of his parents, and it wasn't like anyone had returned from the grave to relay the experiences they had gone through, so it could be anything. He supposed that there was nothing there - similarly to what things were like prior to his birth - and that would simply be the end of it. A void, or an eternal sleep. Perhaps that even sounded good right about now, but he couldn't deny the mortal fear within him nonetheless - the uncertainty of what was now inevitable. The consequences for his life of crime.

If he had one regret, it was of course that he had fallen to those two members of Retribution. He supposed he owed the team the gratitude for what they had done years ago – just as everyone did - but that still did not make the hatred subside for where they had put him. _Resorting to trickery like that,_ he thought to himself, still bitter about the fight. He had later learned their names, though he supposed none of that mattered anymore. _Their_ lives would go on, and they likely wouldn't pay a second thought to the blaziken and his gang, all while the three of them perished. His thoughts were interrupted when Garron could be heard arguing with one of the guards, both of them walking in to deliver the meals for the day.

"This had better be the last time we have this discussion," Garron stated. "I don't care how many times that Valmor representative comes here! We have been independent enforcers of the law for a century, and that's not changing anytime soon!"

"They already own everything around us, sir," the magneton stated. "Half of the agencies we partner with are already with them. It's becoming increasingly difficult to turn down their offer."

"Well I am the overseer of this facility, and I still say that until we absolutely need their funding, then we remain independent!"

"Of course, sir. Would you like for me to deliver the news to him?" the guard asked.

"Yes," the aggron replied, "and tell Tristan that I have personally said for him not to send any more of his messengers back here. If we need them, then we'll contact them." _No… it can't be…_ The blaziken looked over at his two partners, who seemed equally as confused as he was. Bale stood up and headed towards the bars as the aggron opened the door, mindful to keep his distance, though every fiber of his being was screaming out in rage.

"He… is he in charge?" Bale simply asked.

"You would be best to never speak out of turn," Garron replied.

"Please, tell me that much. I just have to know." The aggron rolled his eyes.

"There was some sort of election, and he won. Retribution now controls nearly half of the continent." And he had thought that he couldn't possibly hate the team anymore… The door opened, and Bale took the bowl, gripping it tightly as he gritted his beak.

"Sir, I hate to be a bother, but he wishes to speak with you personally…" Garron turned his back to the prisoner, shouting at the magneton.

"Of all the fucking nerve! I'll be telling him something alright!" It was then that Bale noticed the small blade on the aggron's belt, and he had nothing to lose but his chains. Before anyone else had known what had happened, he threw the bowl to the side, snatching the knife from its sheath. Garron immediately spun around, ready to strike him with all the force he could muster, but Bale had already made his move. In an instant, he thrust the knife forth, sinking it through the aggron's eye to the very hilt. Garron immediately fell to the floor and didn't move.

"I need backup!" the magneton yelled, before launching a jolt of electricity towards him. It hit the chain, sending a painful shock through his body, but not before he could exhale a scorching blast of heat in the guard's direction. The mechanical creature was violently sent into the wall, then fell to the ground. Bale shook off the pain that was writhing throughout his body, then started fumbling around with the keys until he found the one that worked. The shackle fell off, and he breathed a sigh of relief, stretching out his formerly-bound hand. He tossed the keys through the bars at the nidoking's feet.

"Hurry up!" he shouted. "I'll hold 'em off!" Clement wasted no time in following suit, and the blaziken grinned as the flames shot out from his wrists. He hurriedly yanked the knife out of the overseer's skull and got into his fighting stance. The fire in his eyes had returned.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:**

 **Here we are - the end of part one. This is what the story has led up to, and this single chapter is likely the most impactful one I've ever written.**

 **Special thanks to Fawkes Kleiffen for the beta reading services, especially here. We wanted everything to be just perfect for this series of scenes.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

He stood before the city, flames stretching out as far as the eye could see. The skies were dark and foreboding, and a swift wind carried the smoke away from the smoldering wreckage. He gazed upon the scene in horror, watching as a pack of mightyenas sped by, snarling as they clashed with members of Treasure City. _What… what's going on?_ he wondered, trying to make sense of the dreadful nightmare. In the distance, a massive stone fort stood - one of the largest buildings he had ever seen - and it towered over the area. A war was raging, and the lucario was in the midst of it, powerless to stop what was going on.

Though the smoke had climbed into the sky, an ominous figure could be seen as it stomped forward, its eyes piercing the darkness. An eight-headed dragon raked its claws through the earth, roaring into the night with its demented heads, its looming shadow presiding everywhere. No matter where Liam looked, a battle was raging. The seas were churning with blood as various water-types washed ashore, joined by the bodies that fell from the sky. Neighbors were killing one another, and sons had turned against their fathers. His vision blurred, and he found himself shaking his head. _What the hell happened here?!_

Liam walked through the streets, not a single attack landing on him. A manectric ducked ahead of him, lurching with a quick slash to his opponent's neck, and the mightyena whimpered as his throat opened up. The lucario felt emotionally torn by everything he saw, but yet he continued forth as the electric-type moved on to his next opponent. Aside from the invaders, he looked throughout the thousands of people in combat and made one distinct realization: there were no dark-types.

Looking to the west, the lucario found himself staring back at the dragon, all eight heads locked onto him. A bloodcurdling scream sounded, and he was forced to cover his ears. In the confusion, he watched as a blaziken walked in front of the dragon, as though he were leading it. Or perhaps the other way around. One thing was for certain, though: he knew this one. _You…_ In a flash, the dragon opened its powerful maws, and a wicked flame overtook the entire city.

He sat up, gulping for air as he tried to make sense of all that he had seen. Selina mumbled in her sleep, having been disturbed by his rapid motion. _What was that?_ he kept asking himself. It hadn't been the Dimensional Scream - he hadn't even touched anything! And it had never appeared in his sleep before, either…

Selina groaned, stretching out across the bed. Her paws searched around for his form, seeking to latch onto him again, and her eyes slowly opened upon not finding him. He looked down at her, not sure what to say right now. Had it just been nothing more than a dream? But that dragon from the mural had showed up again, and it seemed far too realistic…

"Mmmm… what are you doing?" she asked sleepily.

"I… I don't know. We've gotta go see Eleanor…"

"What? Why?" She looked at him confusedly, but her concern was becoming clear upon noticing the fear on his face.

"I saw… it was that dragon. Everything was destroyed, and… I'm scared that we might not be in the clear just yet…"

The two of them hurriedly got up, and Liam grabbed his sash and tightened it around his waist before heading out. The light of dawn could be seen shimmering from behind the rocky outstretches in the distance, but right now, the serene picture did nothing to calm him.

He assumed that the legendary would be in her home at this time, but there was a chance that she had already left for the summit of the mountain. In any case, the two of them walked briskly towards her place. Liam couldn't help but instinctively look around as he retraced the very steps he had taken in the dream. Everything was peaceful, with many of the village pokémon starting their days, and most of the businesses had yet to open.

"How bad was it?" she quietly asked. After everything that had happened, nobody doubted his sincerity on matters such as this.

"It was horrible…" She looked at him questioningly.

"But… what happened?"

"The eight-headed dragon - it was there. There was a war going on everywhere around me, and there were so many people dying…" He shook his head, praying that this, he was wrong about a premonition. "And then there was that wretched blaziken…"

"No… but he's locked away, isn't he?"

"Yeah, him and his crew are in that prison on Mount Horn. But I'm not so sure what to expect anymore." He made eye contact with the umbreon. "I… I helped drag him back, Selina… even after that first vision. I should have killed him then and there…"

Not many words were exchanged between the two of them as they approached the legendary's humble home. The soothing lavender that was planted all around her house swayed gently in the breeze as he stepped forward. The lucario knocked abruptly on the door, hoping that she was still here. But if he needed to go to the mountain, then so be it.

"Yes?" the cresselia answered from within. It sounded as though she was already wide awake.

"It's me," Liam said. "We've gotta talk. I dunno if I'm just being paranoid, but I'm not taking chances." The door was unlocked telepathically, and the two of them walked in. Eleanor looked at her visitors with concern, but realized the troubled look on Liam's face.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied. "Do you have a moment?"

"I was about to leave, but I don't suppose the elders will mind if I show up later than my usual time. More often than not they are still asleep when I arrive, anyways. What's troubling you?"

For several moments, Liam relayed the contents of the vision to the two of them. Eleanor listened intently to every detail, and he couldn't ignore the sense of dread in the air. "Do you think there's any truth to it?" he asked once he was done.

"I… I am not sure…" she said. "The Dimensional Scream has never worked in the form of a dream before. At least, given past occurrences."

"I just… there doesn't seem to be any real tendency," he said. "Aside from touching something. But I was asleep, and the only thing I was touching was… well, Selina…"

"Did you see her anywhere in the vision?" Eleanor asked. "I need you to think really hard on what you saw, Liam."

"No. I didn't see any dark-types at all, aside from all those mightyenas." None of it seemed to make any sense…

"But… that dragon…" Selina stated.

"Yeah, I know. It looked like it was thousands of feet tall, and I've never seen anything like it."

"Only at Temporal Tower…" she murmured. He thought on it for a second, then the realization hit him.

"You're right, we did. And I drew a sketch of it…"

"So then do you believe it might have just been a dream?" Selina asked Eleanor.

"Perhaps," the cresselia replied. "But I want to see this sketch. Do you have it with you by chance?" Liam shook his head - he hadn't thought to bring Grovyle's satchel with him, though in hindsight, it probably would have been a smart decision to grab it before they had left.

"No, but I can run and grab it. You two stay right here."

"Trust me, neither of us are going anywhere," Eleanor stated.

Liam rushed back home, darting between the seemingly endless crowds of people, most of whom were just starting their days. He prayed that this was all nothing more than a simple nightmare, but until he knew for sure, the terror would continue to manifest itself within him. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt that dragon staring straight through him. He had felt so small and insignificant in the shadow of the colossal creature.

He hurriedly unlocked the trapdoor to their house, and once he was inside, Liam began frantically searching around for the satchel. _Come on… where did I put it? Think, think…_ The last time he had used it was to write some rather embarrassing, intimate events that the two of them had engaged in, but he couldn't seem to remember where he had set it. Eventually his eyes settled on the old bag, finding it at the base of the table. _There you are._ The lucario snatched it up before heading outside.

As he ran back to the two females, he recognized several people around him who had been in the vision, and it only served to unsettle him more. Many of them had been fighting amongst each other, and he had no clue why. _What's going on?_ he asked himself.

He couldn't forgive himself for not ending that blaziken when he had the chance. _I knew… I knew he would be a problem before I even met him. Why didn't I just kill him then and there?_ Granted, he would have never predicted that the fire-type would have been a problem of this caliber, but it still didn't serve to comfort him considering that he had an opportunity to resolve this very issue months ago. _And I let it slide…_ Now there was no telling what would happen. The Dimensional Scream hadn't been wrong before…

But they had changed the future. There was no way the same events could occur, given that they had set the local events on a far different path. And who was to say that what he had recently dreamed about was due to the Dimensional Scream, anyways? He was trying to remain logical, but in the face of such a premonition, he was losing the ability to do that.

When he arrived, they were already deep in discussion. "But that doesn't mean it is relevant to our place or time," Eleanor said as he walked through the door. She glanced at him, then back to the umbreon. "Temporal Tower is a globally significant building that foretells history as it has and as it will occur. But that doesn't mean here and now. It may have simply been a nightmare, given the inclusion of someone we know is locked away."

"But do we know that?" Liam asked.

"We have sent a representative to Mount Horn, and he should be back any day now. It is one of the most secure facilities I have ever seen. There is only one way in and out, and it's constantly guarded."

"But do we _know_?" he repeated.

"Well… I suppose not."

"He was ahead of that dragon," Liam said, taking out his journal from the satchel. "As long as he's alive, we can't ignore the possibility of things going south."

"And what will you do?" Eleanor asked. "Are you seriously thinking about going over there just so you can take the law into your own hands? _Again?_ Liam, we have been over this, and you promised—."

"I'm not going to do it that way," he said, cutting her off. "I know just as well as you what I promised. But I refuse to leave the area until I see his head get taken clean off his shoulders." She sighed, but eventually, the legendary nodded.

"I see. Well, he shall answer for what all he has done. Just so long as you let the proper authorities handle it." She looked at the journal and reached for it. Liam immediately placed his paw on it, glad that he had thought of something before handing it over.

"I uhh… I might wanna just show you the page. There are a few private things in here, and I wouldn't wanna embarrass all three of us…" Though it was far from the main concern at the moment, he still wanted to maintain that decency. She nodded, and Liam began to flip through the pages of the old journal, eventually finding the one of interest. He turned the book around and slid it towards the cresselia, who examined it closely. Everything went quiet as she studied the image.

"Eleanor?" Selina asked. "What's the matter?"

"Liam… how did you learn to write this language?"

"What do you mean? Like I said, we found this in Temporal Tower. I just made a quick sketch of it…"

"These symbols are from a secret language - one that only legendaries can speak." Her hand traced over the page, and to his surprise, the cresselia lacked her usual optimism, the very joy taken out of her soul as she stared back at the two of them. "The writing here… was this _exactly_ where it was?"

"Yes. There was some more, but I'm pretty sure—."

"Liam, we cannot afford 'pretty sure' right now." He fell silent, and the sense of dread was starting to well up within him once more. "I need for you to think harder than you ever have in your entire life. Was this where the writing was?" she asked, pointing to the short word over the dragon's chest. He looked at her silently, but he slowly nodded.

"Y-yeah. It was…"

"What's going on?" Selina asked, equally as frightened by the legendary's sudden change of demeanor.

"Is it true?" Liam asked, barely able to speak the words. "Is… is this dragon… or whatever it is… going to attack Valmor?" Eleanor shook her head slowly, and he could feel the fear within her aura.

"No," she whispered, "the dragon isn't going to attack Valmor…" She looked at him, and Liam noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. "The dragon… it _is_ Valmor…"

— — — — —

 **General**

— — — — —

There was no more ignoring the situation at hand. Liam had rushed to make his preparations for the journey, packing nothing but food and weaponry. He was taking enough iron thorns to turn this vile creature into a pincushion. _No more putting off what needs to be done… what needed to be done all along!_ He was going to go over there to make sure that everything was as it should be. Whatever this blaziken had done to Valmor - whatever he had turned the country into in the vision - wasn't going to happen if Liam had anything to say about it.

Selina had desperately wanted to come with him, but he wasn't going to debate it. He wasn't about to have her within reach of such a despicable person, knowing full well what he would do to her if he had the chance. His only comfort in spite of the situation was the fact that Mount Horn's prison was an impressively guarded facility. That and the fact that it would take some sort of an unholy misfortune for something to go wrong there.

Eleanor would be going with him, as word had reached them from one of the scouts that Tristan's crew would be arriving within a few hours. The only other companion that would be accompanying them was a dragonite that was a friend of hers, who would allow Liam to ride on his back in order to arrive at the prison quicker. There wasn't a moment to lose at this point, and they couldn't afford for the journey to take a week. The others were occupied, but with two of the most powerful people in the continent combined, that was all that was needed. The luxray would assume his duties in her absence, and they would ensure that one of Retribution's most important missions ever was seen to completion: the death of that blaziken.

As for the lucario in the mural, they still had no clue as to who that was. It didn't matter. The only thing that was of any importance was to ward off the monster before he could seize the country.

— — — — —

 **Tristan**

— — — — —

He walked through the eastern gate, appreciating the fact that their campaign had finally reached its end. The total head count of their new military was 7,344 individuals, with only around a thousand members of his own species. It wasn't exactly the outcome he had expected, but then again, it was already such a risk that no one within the Valmor could complain. _I did it…_ he thought. _I made an army…_ It had taken nearly a month longer than he had expected, but it had been done nonetheless.

They had already sent several of the packs to key areas, and he had assigned dozens of people towards maintaining the necessary supply lines. Given the deal that he had reached with the various packs - often through challenging their leaders in a manner similar to what he had done with Faramond - he was obligated to meet his end of the bargain.

As of now, he had stationed individuals according to their need, mainly alongside the various roads throughout Valmor. They had already sent thousands of tents to the several main locations of interest, where they would be further dispersed to the electric-types. The typing so far for the military, ignoring his own personal bias, was a good one. Aside from the fact that the pack mentality could be easily utilized for the innate hierarchy that a military called for, electric-types could operate anywhere and were only weak to a single elemental attack. But aside from that, a group of such pokémon had far stronger capabilities than the sum of its parts - that much he had witnessed from the local officers. _And if they received the same training…_

He had thought back to the events that had transpired over his time as Advisor. He had started with simply trying to grow the formerly-named Treasure Town into a productive settlement for the sake of its own residents, but now he had well over a million people within the boundaries of Valmor. It seemed as though the entire continent had become so much smaller, with half of it now working together in such a way that nobody would have ever predicted. Everywhere he looked, formerly impossible things were being accomplished. Business was booming, food was plentiful, and people were moving all around. It was as though Valmor was a living, breathing entity, having sprung to life under the care of the luxray.

Approaching the main crossroads, he could see Aidan heading towards him from the opposite side. Tristan smiled after seeing his friend for the first time in nearly two months, and he was reminded of how good it felt to finally be home after such a journey. "Damn it's good to see you…" Tristan said. Aidan smiled back at him.

"Likewise. The place wasn't the same without you."

"Oh no," he joked. "Was Eleanor a stick in the mud?"

"No - not at all!" the typhlosion said. "It's just… well, you know what I mean…"

"Of course, of course. So, what all has happened while I've been out?"

"Well get this," Aidan started. "One of our scouts brought back news from the west. Another settlement wants in - a _massive_ one at that!"

"West?" Tristan asked. "I didn't know of any land that lies west of here. At least, not within this continent…"

"See, that's just it - they aren't _on_ land. See, we've been trying to figure out how to establish all these water routes, and the answer has been right beneath us this whole time. Literally!"

"Really?" Tristan thought it over, then got the implications. "Why, you're right! We didn't think to ask any of the underwater settlements. So who was it?"

"Gyarados Ridge actually sent word to us that they wished to be included, particularly in exchange for land goods. There are a lot of materials and food that they don't have access to due to their location, so that's my guess as to why they want it."

"That's great news!" the luxray stated. "I'll have to send word to them immediately."

"I'll have that taken care of," he stated. "There was something else I wanted to tell you… I feel like it was important, but I can't remember for the life of me…" He thought to himself for a moment, but only shook his head. "Oh well, I'll mention it next time I see you."

"Well alright then, I'll see you soon. Got a few things I need to take care of myself. Need to meet with Eleanor first of all."

"It's my understanding that both her and Liam left, actually. They didn't really tell anyone where they were going. I just heard it from the two officers by the eastern gate this morning." _Really? That's strange…_

"Understood. I'll try to see what's going on," Tristan said.

He tried to make sense of everything as he made his way towards the main street. _I just don't understand,_ he thought to himself. _Why would they just go and leave like that without saying anything?_ He supposed that he would have his answer soon enough.

It took him the better part of an hour of searching, but he eventually noticed Selina in the distance, talking with Kangaskhan at the storage facility. He walked over towards her, and the umbreon noticed him and smiled weakly. "Hey…"

"Hey Tristan," she stated.

"I heard of Liam and Eleanor's departure. What happened?" Selina nodded towards the large shopkeeper.

"I'll catch up with you later," the dark-type said, before walking with him. "Follow me. I don't want anyone to hear and get paranoid…" His interest was piqued, and the two of them walked west of the town, away from the bustling streets and out of hearing range.

"So what's going on? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Liam had another vision," she said. "And… it doesn't look like everything's gotten better. We're worried that the blaziken that you and Liam put away might try to take over Valmor…" The luxray looked at her confusedly. Was she being serious about this?

"Selina… we have an army now, not to mention the most powerful group of bounty hunters in this continent. How in the world would that degenerate accomplish such a thing?"

"I don't know," the umbreon admitted. "But we are scared that it may happen because of the mural that we saw at Temporal Tower. Not to mention the fact that Liam hasn't been wrong about this stuff before…"

"Well I say let him come," the luxray stated. "We are more than ready for him, as we were when we put him away. He's got no chance of taking this country. Not while I have anything to say about it."

"I sure hope so…" She seemed far more concerned about the matter at hand than he was, but that made sense. She didn't know what Valmor was now capable of - thousands upon thousands of mobile fighters, and that was before they had started the recruiting process within the individual settlements.

"I've devoted everything in me to creating this country," he said, looking off into the distance. He wasn't wrong in saying that, either. But from day one, he had never forgotten the reason for his perseverance - his motivation to keep going. "Do you know why I did all this?" he asked. She looked at him questioningly.

"Not really. I'm still trying to come to terms with all the changes around here," she joked. "But what led you to do this?" After all these years, the time had come.

"Well… you did. Everything you see now… I've done it so that you could live in a world which you deserve. From the very first day I saw you back at Amp Plains, I knew that you were someone special. I have always treasured our friendship over these years, and now… I would be honored to have you at my side as something far more." He gave her a sincere smile, meaning every word of it.

"T-Tristan… what about Flora?"

"Flora is a great gal - don't get me wrong. But we are not meant to be. You though… you are the most beautiful, exquisite creature I have ever laid eyes on. I have felt for you ever since I first saw you." Her ears lowered, and she backed up slightly, and the speech he had rehearsed a thousand times in his head had not received the outcome he expected. She seemed awkward about it. _Why?_

"I… I can't, Tristan…" He shook his head, unable to comprehend it. Had he done something wrong?

"Why not?" he asked, trying not to appear as hurt as he was. It was then that he noticed a scent that he had ignored - faint, but still there nonetheless. Someone else's, but with her own. His heart dropped, and all of a sudden, he knew why. He felt sick to his stomach. _How… how could she?_

"You… what have you done?"

"Tristan… Liam and I are together." He looked at her, not able to believe what he was hearing, but no matter how much he wanted to ignore it, he could not deny the scent. Despite everything that he had been through - all the hardships for her sake - he hadn't been good enough for her? _But Liam was?!_

"I don't… I don't understand. I did everything right… I… I did it all to make _you_ proud…"

"We all are proud of you… it's just…" she sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the awkward situation. He was trying to keep from breaking down, and yet still, he couldn't stop the tears from falling. "I… I'm so sorry Tristan. You're a great friend, and I can't tell you how many girls would be lucky to have someone like you. But… I've always loved him…"

"Then… why," he growled, taking a step forward. "Why did you lead me on all this time?"

"Wh-what? I nev—."

"Did you take some sort of sick pleasure in all this?!" he roared, causing her to back up in fear. "Are you _enjoying_ seeing me like this? Look at me!" She began to tremble, but she met his gaze, seeing the tears stream down his face, matting his fur as she cowered before him. "Everything I did, I did for _your_ sake! I left my home! I built a nation for _you_! And you just think it's funny to toy with my feelings like that?!"

"Tristan, please calm down…" she whimpered. "I never meant to—."

"Oh, you never meant to what?! Rip my heart out?!" His chest was rising and falling violently, and he couldn't hold back the sobs. Never in his worst nightmares would he have thought something like this would have happened. "You… I have always been hopelessly in love with you, and you… you gave yourself to that mutt!"

"Stop it!" she said.

"He doesn't deserve you! He never did! But you never even gave me a chance! Is this what you dark-types do?!" She froze up, and now, he wasn't the only one with tears. "I… I thought the world of you! I thought you were the exception - the one good one out of the endless black sea of criminals! But you have stolen something far more impactful than any thug ever could." She cried, clearly not knowing what to make of any of this.

"I-I'm sorry Tristan," she said between the sobs. "I… I didn't mean to hurt you, but… I love him…" The words stung far worse than any other pain he had ever felt. The very dream he had dreamt for years would never come true, and every fiber of his being wanted to scream out in agony. She couldn't take it anymore and ran off, receding to the very home that she shared with the one who had defiled her.

Tristan turned and ran the other way, looking down to try and avoid eye contact with the townspeople. He nearly ran into several individuals on his way back, but his mind was numb from the emotional pain that was tearing him apart. When he reached his home, rather than carefully use his key, he rammed into the door full-force, blowing it clean off its hinges.

He cried and cried for hours, throwing furniture around and yelling. "You're all the same!" he screamed, standing amidst the wreckage of his home. A physical pain had welled up inside his chest, and it was an emptiness that would never leave. Only one person could have filled it, and now it was an opportunity he would never have. "All you dark-types!" He collapsed from exhaustion, panting heavily through his sobs. He cared not if anyone saw as they passed by. He cared about nothing at all anymore.

 _It's not fair at all!_ he roared in his mind. _I… I did everything right! I deserved her, not him!_ His heart had hardened, and his mind was split equally between sorrow and rage. _Why? Why would Arceus ever put such creatures on this planet?_ he thought through the sobs. It was Darkrai, Kraven, the crooked cop. It was well over half the criminals, the beggars, the degenerates - the entire reason he needed to build a military in the first place! And now… the worst of them all had crushed his very soul.

He weakly got back onto his feet, looking around of what was left of the inside of his house. A glossy, shimmering vase was in pieces on the floor - a gift from the umbreon when he had first joined the team. It had been his most treasured possession, and just like him it was broken. He looked at his reflection in the glistening surface, seeing a fire that hadn't been present in his eyes before. _I… I still have a job to do…_ he thought. The luxray had sworn to serve Valmor to the best of his ability, but also to protect it from any threats whatsoever. And now… he knew exactly who those threats were.

* * *

 **END OF PART ONE**

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And now the real fun begins.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:**

 **Now it's time to start the _real_ story. Hope y'all enjoy! If you do, please consider leaving a review. **

**Special thanks to both Orthros and Fawkes Kleiffen for the proof-reading services.**

 **"…"** **\- Spoken dialogue**

 _ **Italics**_ **-** **Character** **thoughts**

 **' _Italics_ ' - Telepathic dialogue**

 **/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene**

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

— — — — —

 **Liam**

— — — — —

The prisoners had long since been gone when he and Eleanor arrived. Officers from surrounding settlements swarmed the area, trying to make sense of what had happened. Both he and the cresselia tried not to panic, but in spite of everything, Liam found it impossible not to do so. All that work, and they still hadn't changed anything. The monster was unleashed, and now he was somewhere out there.

Before they had even arrived at the scene, several search parties had been dispatched to look for the escaped criminals, which totaled thirteen in number. It seemed as though the blaziken had realized that he would need as much help as he could in breaking out and had decided to free the entire prison population. Not a single guard had been left alive.

"We failed," Liam said in disbelief. "He's out there, and there's nothing we can do about it…"

"This isn't good," Eleanor stated in disbelief. "We have to do something - we must find him. We cannot allow that future to come true…"

"What the hell are we gonna do?" he asked. "We already _tried_ to interfere, and it didn't work! What if… what if this was just meant to happen? What if it was inevitable?" The very thought scared him beyond comprehension, but now he was wondering if this was simply the way things were meant to be - if everything they had fought to protect was destined to be destroyed.

"The future is a mystery to us all," the cresselia stated. "But as long as Retribution is around, we will do what we have always done. A threat is among us, Liam, and we must apprehend him. You know how much I dislike the idea of ending a life, but I fear I will have to put that resolve aside for the sake of Valmor. I cannot allow it to fall victim to this spawn of hell itself." It was the only time he had heard her talk that way about someone aside from Darkrai. But this blaziken was proving to be one of Retribution's largest threats, and until Liam saw his head roll, he wouldn't feel at peace.

The two of them wished that they could stick around and help, but unless they found the fire-type soon, there would be many more bodies to bury. Liam hated the idea of this vision coming true, and though he and the rest of the team would do everything in their power to apprehend the blaziken, he couldn't help but feel that they had already failed.

— — — — —

 **Aidan**

— — — — —

 _Where is he?_ the typhlosion kept asking. Tristan was almost never this late, the time of day nearing afternoon. The typhlosion had done what he could, but without Tristan's approval, many of his tasks had reached a stand-still. Of course, he _could_ just sign for the luxray, but he didn't want to do anything that would upset the Advisor - especially when he had been given one of the most important positions in the nation. Even all of the elders were up and about at this point. _Seriously, what could be taking him so long?_ Ever since he'd started the position, Tristan had always been one of the first ones present. Perhaps all the exhaustion had finally caught up with the overworked luxray.

It was about an hour later when the leader had arrived. Aidan set aside the paper, looking towards Tristan curiously as he walked towards the tent. "You're a bit later than usual. Did you sleep in for once?" The luxray said nothing, and a sharp glare was his only response. Aidan couldn't help but feel nervous looking at him. "I…is something the matter?" For a second, Tristan didn't react, but his features softened a little.

"It's nothing that concerns you," he said. "I am sorry. I did not intend to be short with you."

"It's okay. You know, though, you can tell me if something is bothering you." Tristan walked out of the tent, looking around and making sure that nobody around them was listening in on their conversation. He trotted back towards the typhlosion, a scowl on his face.

"Not a word of this is to leave this tent. Is that understood?" Aidan was unsure of what was going on, and for the Advisor to say something like that was concerning to say the least. But he wouldn't ever betray Tristan's trust.

"O-okay. You have my word that it won't…"

"There has been word of a prison break at Mount Horn. All of the guards are dead, and the criminals now roam free." The fire-type looked at his friend in horror.

"W…what?"

"Bale was among them. He was a blaziken that I put away with the help of… Liam… A murderer, thief, and a rapist. He's now the most dangerous criminal in the continent, and apparently he may have a chance of striking out against Valmor."

"But how?" Aidan asked in disbelief. "That would be suicide! There's no way he would be able to pull something like that off!" Tristan shook his head, but his tone was grim and absolute.

"Not on his own, no…"

"What do you mean?" Aidan inquired.

"He couldn't take over Valmor on his own. But if he had help, and if they came in the night, then perhaps they could take out the right people to accomplish such a feat."

"But your people are loyal to you. There's no way they'd follow someone so despicable and evil…"

"Fear does unthinkable things to people. When I defeated Farmond in battle, his entire pack looked at me in nothing short of sheer terror. There was no sense of certainty within the situation, and yet they were obligated by tradition to do whatever I said."

"But this is completely different. Nobody here would ever follow Bale."

"No," Tristan agreed, "they wouldn't. But they _would_ listen to Liam, wouldn't they?" The typhlosion couldn't understand. Just what did that have to do with anything?

"Are you… implying that Liam might be…?"

"I don't know. Not yet. But I find it awfully convenient how he arrives and then Bale somehow manages to escape. There are no witnesses that can communicate what happened in that prison. And then there's the matter of those rumors." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _Liam of all people?_ But why?

"What would Liam have to gain from this that he wouldn't have been able to get prior?" Aidan asked.

"I'm not sure I follow…"

"I mean, had Liam wanted control, he could have won the role of Advisor on his own accord. And something like this seems completely out of character. Are you sure that your source of information is reliable?"

"I'm not too sure about anything. Not anymore. But I cannot ignore the possibility. It's been found that he was the one to initiate the communications with Chapim town regarding the annexation, so that shows that he was acting behind my back." Immediately Aidan's thoughts drifted to his own role in manipulating the election debates. His hesitation had not gone unnoticed by the luxray, who stepped forward, maintaining eye contact as Aidan tried to look away.

"You… you have knowledge of him working behind my back?"

"I-I…"

"Do not fear me, my friend. I have no ill-will towards you. But I need to know what I am dealing with so that I can stop this issue before it gets out of hand. Nobody needs to be harmed for a resolution to be made." He thought about it for a second, not wanting to release the information. But it was clear that there was no way out of this, and that Tristan would always be questioning of him if he did not come forward. _Oh well… here goes nothing…_

"…It was during the second debate. Liam… he paid me to ask the question I did. I needed the money, okay? I'm sorry…" Tristan nodded, then released a heavy sigh.

"I appreciate your honesty, Aidan. I am not disappointed in you, as I for one can understand what it is like to be in dire need. I already had my suspicions about him interfering with the election."

"You did?"

"Word travels fast," Tristan said.

"But why would Liam help you win the election if he wanted power? That's what I don't get," Aidan said.

"I am similarly confused. My only guess is that he might not have realized how large my influence would become, and now is having second thoughts about being in charge of the position. But everything is only a guess for now. I will need to keep an eye on him. But if I am right in my suspicions, then there may be cause for concern for the rest of Team Retribution, too. I have no idea who among them have tolerated this sort of behavior, or perhaps even helped Liam in these actions." Tristan looked over the papers spread out on the table, though he didn't seem terribly focused on what he was reading.

"Well… what do you propose we do?"

"I'm not sure," Tristan replied, "other than wait and figure out what's going on before doing anything too rash. But if he's found to be plotting against me, then I will do what it takes to protect Valmor… whatever it may be…"

— — — — —

 **Clement**

— — — — —

The journey had been a rough one for the three of them. After the prison break, the outlaws had all gone their separate ways, mostly doing so to avoid drawing the attention that they would inevitably gain if they were to travel in such large numbers. That didn't exactly remove all causes for concern, though: the nidoking was more than a bit worried about this whole Valmor situation. The trio had passed through the Forgotten Woods in an effort to avoid a small village directly outside of the forested area. Bale had planned on scoping the place out, potentially considering a home break-in at night, but they decided against it upon seeing the large flags outside of the gate. They had already seen patrolling manectrics throughout these parts, so the last thing they needed was to have a run-in with the law.

He could hardly believe how quickly everything had changed. They had been incarcerated for about half a year, but even in that short of a time, the world seemed like a completely different place. And under different circumstances, that wouldn't be so bad - at least in the nidoking's opinion. But as things currently stood, the changes made their lives a whole lot more difficult.

Their plan was to head south towards the peninsula and potentially pay for passage into another continent. Things were far too risky around here, especially given the prospects of a national military and police force. Once they relocated somewhere else, Clement had no idea what the plan would be. If they ended up in some other land that lacked the unification that the Grass Continent had, then there was always the possibility of engaging in their past activities. But he wasn't so sure if he wanted to continue down this path any longer. Of course, for the time being, he was willing to do what needed to be done to secure his freedom. But the risks were becoming far too much for his comfort, and he was hoping for a change. Given, thieving had been the majority of what he'd done ever since he'd been with Bale, but he could probably make a living out of providing protection if he wanted. Or perhaps he'd just live in the wild like the majority of people did. Life as an uncivilized might even be the most fitting for him considering what all he had done.

Whatever he decided upon, though, one thing was for certain: Bale wasn't in the picture. He'd about had it with the crazed blaziken, and while part of him was grateful that the fire-type had helped him escape from a certain death sentence, Clement couldn't just overlook all the past wrongs. Granted the nidoking had participated in all of those criminal acts as well, but Bale always took things too far. _Like… like he enjoys it all._ For both Clement and Murtagh, it was nothing more than a way to meet their own financial needs. The blaziken, on the other hand, took far too many liberties, even for a hardened criminal. Obviously Clement kept these thoughts to himself, but he knew that Murtagh held the same idea.

Bale would have gotten what he deserved had their sentences been carried out. Maybe all of them would have. But now that he had a fighting chance, Clement intended on taking advantage of the fact.

He trudged through the woods, sighing as he struggled to fit his broad form through the thick foliage. The humidity was getting more than annoying, as evident by the sweat that was condensing along his skin. Murtagh was panting heavily in an effort to keep cool as well. And the mosquitoes were among the most irritating things he'd ever experienced. He hated that they'd had to come through such a wretched place, but it seemed like the best option in terms of avoiding the patrols. That is, when Bale wasn't burning any shrubbery in his way…

There were dozens of different species that he had noticed here, though Clement couldn't really see what would be so appealing in such a dense, miserable area. But he supposed that they were acclimated to such conditions.

As they pressed forward and the night drew near, the surroundings became darker and darker. Trees still towered around as far as the eye could see, and now they were blocking out the last remaining rays of light from the forest floor below. Bale snatched a limb off of a wooded plant, then wrapped it in some dried moss, intending to make a torch out of it. "I dunno if that's such a good idea…" Clement stated. "If we're being followed, then they might see the light…" Bale said nothing, but looked at the stick before tossing it to the side.

"Are we gonna call it a night or what?" Murtagh asked.

"Don't be a pussy," Bale replied. "And if we bed down for the night, we might wake up surrounded. We can't take that risk…"

"Yeah, but we can't keep this up forever, either. We've been walking for two days straight…" the mightyena said.

"Well it's better than being cooped up in a cell and waiting for death. We have our freedom once again, and I don't intend on losing that." The blaziken had a point, though Clement couldn't deny the fact that all three of them were exhausted. They would need to rest if they had any hopes of continuing this journey. That, and they needed to find food of some sort. "You two ladies see if you can keep up for another two hours or so. At that point, I doubt we'd be risking much by taking a quick rest. We'll need to rotate as lookouts, though." The nidoking nodded, glad to hear that. His own legs were killing him, and the idea of sleep was a very welcome one indeed. But as Bale had said, it was better to be exhausted and on the run than well-rested and awaiting death.

"What are we gonna do after all this is said and done?" Murtagh asked. "We goin' back to robbing again?"

"Perhaps," replied Bale. "Or maybe I might attempt to get involved in the ministry again."

"Wha— really?" asked the mightyena.

"No, you stupid fuck." Clement just rolled his eyes at the exchange. Though if he was being honest, trying to convert people to some strange set of codes did sound like a more enticing option than running for their lives, or attacking innocent people for that matter. Still though, it was a laughable idea at best. _No, we have lost any chance of redemption long ago,_ he thought. He wasn't sure what would happen when he eventually kicked the bucket, though he tried not to dwell on thoughts of the sort. "All that matters now is getting outta here in one piece. I'm sure after the breakout, everyone in that prison now has a 'kill on sight' bounty on their heads." The thought was unsettling to say the least, but Bale was right. Any encounter that they had with the law would result in a potentially fatal fight, and in the state they were in right now, that was the last thing they needed.

Clement looked up at the moon through the forest's canopy. A slim crescent and the stars were all the light that they had to go off of, though their eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness. He supposed that they would only need to flee for a few more weeks or so, and then they could figure out how to escape the continent. The nidoking had to admit that he was looking forward to leaving this all behind. Sometimes the past kept him up at night, though he wouldn't admit that to anyone. But that didn't mean that he was willing to hand over what was probably the one life he would ever have as a result of his crimes. Though there were many regrets with how he had lived, it was far more preferable than death.

It felt like it had taken them forever, but eventually they reached a small clearing. The distinct lights had already started, with both volbeats and illumises participating in their evening ritual. In any other circumstance, Clement would've found the sight enjoyable.

"You've got first shift, Murtagh," Bale said before lying down on the grass.

"Wh-what? But why?" the dark-type asked.

"It's fine," Clement stated. "I'll take first round." The mightyena looked at him appreciatively, then finally plopped down onto the ground with a heavy sigh. Clement walked over towards the base of the large tree nearest to them and sat against it, happy to be off of his feet for a change. His eyes felt heavy and threatened to shut, but he directed all of his focus to the surroundings and wasn't about to allow himself to fall asleep. There was simply too much at stake this time, and any slight mistake on their part could result in their deaths.

And part of him felt like that might just be well earned. Of course, he would fight with every fiber of his being for the chance to live, but if that just wasn't enough, then maybe things would be as they should. There would be no more fleeing - no more violence - and the deep slumber would embrace the wretched nidoking. That, or an eternity of suffering and misery for his crimes… _Shit, I hope none of that stuff is real…_

But those were questions best left unasked. As long as they had a chance, Clement and the other two would fight.

— — — — —

 **Lapras**

— — — — —

The water-type lazily drifted a few miles off of the coast, watching as the new representatives of Gyarados Ridge made their way towards the town. It was interesting that a settlement that was completely underwater was now a part of Valmor, and yet it was a perfect fit if anything. Though the inhabitants of Gyarados Ridge lacked any real goods of interest - aside from just about every form of seafood out there - they _did_ have plenty of species that could serve as transporters of goods along the borders of the continent.

"What is _that_?" Marvin asked, looking towards the sleek serpentine figure at the shoreline. She was accompanied by other water-types. They seemed to be discussing something related to the recent inclusion of Gyarados ridge into Valmor, suggested by the few representatives from Treasure City that he could make out from the distance.

"That's a milotic. You don't see a whole lot of them around here. And she's quite a stunning member of her species, too," Lapras answered.

"How can you tell it's a girl?" the manaphy asked.

"Well, can you see the pink fins? The ones that somewhat look like hair?" Marvin nodded. "Well, the females' are longer than the males. So it's not hard to tell when you know what you're looking for."

"Oh wow," Marvin replied. "Are there any other species like that?"

"Many, actually - even if you ignore the typical differences. Female bug-types tend to be larger than the males, but for most species with fur it's the other way around. But I know off the top of my head that buizels and floatzels have different markings depending on their gender, and any female species that has tusks has smaller ones than a male." The manaphy floated up and landed softly on Lapras' head, making the large water-type roll his eyes.

"But _why_ though? What's the purpose of this stuff?"

"I… I do not know. Perhaps it's that Arceus simply decided to create them that way. I'm sure there's a reason."

"But it doesn't seem necessary…" Marvin stated, clearly confused by it all. "I mean, I can tell that Mom is a girl, even though she doesn't have any special characteristics. _Everyone_ can. And what about people that live in really dark areas? Why would they need special—."

"Child, you are an endless stream of questions, aren't you?" Though he knew exactly where that part had come from. Liam had acted very similarly when they were first headed to the Hidden Land, and despite the seriousness of what they were about to endure, he seemed to want to know everything there was to know about the mystical island. "But never lose that. It's good to have a love for learning."

"…But are you gonna answer?" the manaphy playfully asked.

"I do not know the answer to everything, particularly the biology of species that I have never seen before," Lapras answered.

"Well, what do you know?"

"A lot, actually - if you're wanting to know about the many creatures of the sea, or perhaps the Hidden Land." He looked up towards the manaphy, knowing full well that he had piqued the child's interests.

"Ohh, tell me about the Hidden Land! That's where Mom and Dad go every year, right?" Marvin inquired.

"That's right. And do you know who they go to see?"

"Dialga!"

"Exactly. Dialga lives there and maintains the fabric of time itself for the entire world," Lapras explained. "I have not traversed the area myself due to my body style, but I have seen some of the oddities within the floating island. The weather, for instance, is incredibly peculiar. Temperatures are pretty cold considering the Hidden Land's high elevation above the sea, but that doesn't stop the sandstorms, or harsh sunlight, or even the heavy winds and storms. I don't understand why things are the way they are over there, but I find it fascinating."

"Me too! Oh, and why can't I go over there? I wanna see it too!"

"Well, you see, the Hidden Land is a special place to your parents. It's—."

"I know that," Marvin interjected. "It's where Dad died for some time, too…" Lapras nodded, remembering the trip back all too well. Selina seemed to have lost a part of her very soul back then.

"Yes, it is. And that was a hard time for all of us. I barely knew Liam at the time, but I got to know him a little bit on the trip over there. I was upset to hear that he had vanished after the fight." Lapras looked towards the beach, where the conversation between the various different species was still ongoing, and likely would be for a considerable amount of time. But there was always that one spot that Selina held in high regard: the place where Liam had appeared not once, but twice.

"Mom doesn't like talking about it apparently…" Marvin stated.

"No," Lapras agreed, "she doesn't, and I would personally advise against bringing up the topic with her. But I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah. Aunt Flora told me the same thing, too. But all she really said was that Mom was really sad during that time."

"That figures," the large water-type said. "You are still very young, Marvin, and there are things that you don't quite understand yet. In time you will learn, but it is not my place to say certain things." After all, he wasn't about to be the one to break the news that Selina had contemplated taking her life. Had Liam not appeared again, perhaps she might have gone through with it. He pushed those types of thoughts out of his mind, returning his focus to the manaphy. "You are being raised in quite an unorthodox way. Though Liam and Selina are your adoptive parents, you have been raised by the team as a whole. We do not intend to keep certain things from you, but you are but a child. Treasure your innocence while it lasts, for there will come a day when you will be like us and know the extent of evilness and cruelty in this world." Marvin looked at him with great curiosity.

"But I know that - they taught us in school how Darkrai tried to take over the planet. And then there was that mean Kraven guy, too…"

"And yet there is much that you do not know about these situations. There are good people and bad people in the world, yes, but the full understanding of these terms is lost upon you until maturity. It is simply the way things are as a child, and it is best that it remains like that," Lapras said.

"Why though?"

"Because your innocence and freedom from worry is something that is worth protecting, which is why we've all worked so hard to do just that."

"But I can protect myself! Dad has trained me how to fight, and you've taught me plenty about my powers!"

"And yet while you are of legendary descent, you are still a child - Liam and Selina's child - and we want you to be raised as well as possible. That means shielding you from the dangers of the world until you are old enough to comprehend them."

"Oh, alright. I guess I'll drop it for now… " Lapras nodded, appreciating that he was letting go of the topic. He didn't like to tell the kid 'no,' but this was a position he was adamant in - perhaps due to the fact that he himself had not been afforded such a luxury when he was young.

"I appreciate that. Though you are young, you are remarkably intelligent and well-spoken for someone of your age. Perhaps that is a result from your non-conventional upbringing, or from your status as a legendary. I doubt it will take long. Treasure it while you have it, as you will come to learn that there are people out there who will do unspeakable things to others."


End file.
